While for most of the city life is back to normal, it really isn’t. We’re edgy, tense during thunderstorms, uneasy when it pours, waking in the night to thunder and wondering.
I hear about kids who are uneasy, too. A four year old whose parents were away for day after day cleaning out their flooded basement checks to make sure Mommy isn’t going too far, or won’t be away for too long. He asked his grandmother when she said goodbye – Is this forever goodbye?
No no, just for now. I’ll see you later. A long time later? No no, soon. Soon. A twelve year old girl crawls into bed with her parents when she wakes in the night, still upset from being evacuated. And these are the children who are home and safe.
What about those still out of their homes? Families fighting with insurance companies? Unsure what new provincial rules mean for them? Not knowing how much help they’ll receive from the province?
Businesses that were struggling to keep their doors open before the flood lost customers simply from being evacuated, or from loss of power for a day or a week, or from being flooded. They’re trying to stay in business, hoping city and community efforts to help them will be enough.
Those of us who are safe and dry try to keep supporting the recovery efforts, through donations and buying from local stores and supporting fund raisers and supporting friends who are struggling and – whatever we can do.
And so I’m happy to see the city functioning, and sad as I begin to understand the long term damage.
Maureen
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