Thinking back to 2009, things were pretty dim in my world. My late husband’s disease was progressing at warp speed, we were struggling financially with the loss of income, and our kids were sad, scared and confused. Their dad was getting worse by the minute and they were too young to understand why. Safe to say our world was crumbling and completely out of our control. We didn’t ask for it, and there wasn’t a damn thing we could do about it.

If you’re reading this blog and you’ve experienced loss, you know what I am talking about. The lack of control over what is happening, being completely overwhelmed, scared, and unsure of the future is terrifying. But somehow, someway, we make our way through and to the other side.

But we don’t do it alone…

Thankfully, there were people in my life who helped us through. I confided in a good friend one day about how much we were struggling to keep it together. She enlisted the help of some wonderful friends and family and the next thing I knew our community rallied and raised money to keep a roof over our heads, cooked us meals, took the kids places so they could have some fun and made sure that we were surrounded by good people who would walk with us through the storm. Friends, family, co-workers, business owners and even complete strangers helped us get to the other side.

So as I sit here looking out my window, I notice the clouds rolling in. Normally I’d be bummed that the weather is supposed to turn dreary over the holiday weekend, but not this time. My thoughts are with the millions of people weathering an absolutely devastating storm in Texas. The images and accounts I see all over the news are of mass destruction. Entire communities are wiped out, families have been ripped apart and there wasn’t a damn thing anyone could have done about it. The storm was in control.

But we can help…

And we should. We need to be the community of people who help get them through this time in their lives. Just as so many of us remember the ones who carried us during our toughest times, we need to show our fellow neighbors that we care and will do all we can to get them to the other side.

There are plenty of ways to show you care and I will be donating today. I am not endorsing or recommending any specific charity – just asking that you join me in making a difference in their lives. It’s the least we can do.

• Sheila

P.S. – Please feel free to comment below if you know of reputable charities and organizations that directly help these victims. Thank you!