There is no funny Friday today, in lieu of the Deepwater Oil Spill and the “Love the Gulf Coast Blog Carnival ” going on this weekend, I have some things to tell you about My Gulf Coast.
My Gulf Coast is beautiful. My water isn’t aqua blue with huge white waves.
My gulf coast is filled with 27 miles of white sandy beaches, it’s the longest man made beach in the United States.
My Gulf Coast is chalked full of history both good and bad.
My Gulf Coast is overflowing with people as warm as the sun that shines so brightly you wince your eyes.
My Gulf Coast is where my brother took me when I was 17 to throw a bottle into the ocean with a good bye poem I had written for my friends that had died just after graduation. He held my hand while the sun came up.
My Gulf Coast is where I took a moon lit stroll with a boy just like out of the movies.
My Gulf Coast is where all 3 of my children flew their first kites.
My Gulf Coast is has seen change as Casinos and big business learned to co exist with the families that had founded and built the community thru fishing and seafood.
My Gulf Coast picked it self up time and time again after mother nature dealt it’s deadly blows.
My Gulf Coast didn’t blame the Government or scream for media, we were too busy helping each other, those who had little left were so grateful they shared it with those who had nothing. There were no strangers on My Gulf Coast, everyone helped everyone. This was mother nature.
My Gulf Coast built a memorial, to those who suffered, to those that lost what can’t be replaced and to pay respect for all those who helped My Gulf Coast.
My Gulf Coast is full of survivors. My Gulf Coast cares.
My Gulf Coast turned tragedy into beauty.
Thursday I got this years Hurricane Predictions from the national weather service. I cried. We have had an oil spill 11x’s that the size of the Exxon Valdeez for over a month now. My coast is strong, but this is strong also, my coastal people are resilant but could we take another hurricane on top of this spill?
I took my 9 year old to gather some memories, I wanted him to have a chance to see My Gulf Coast again before things change, and remember it.
We drove 15 of the 27 miles, we looked at the nesting sanctuaries, we looked at the unseasonably empty beaches, then we talked about the spill.
My son asked questions I could not answer, what would be the fate of the dolphins, the cranes, the families that fish to take care of their children.
Being 9, he did only what was within his power.
I asked him what he was doing to My Gulf Coast.
My son said, “I will draw hearts along the coast, to protect the animals, the water, the sand. ” Love is really strong mom.”
My son then asked me, ” Mom, where are the grown ups, why are they letting this happen, where is everyone?”
I had no answer for my son, other than this is OUR Gulf Coast, and we will love her.
I am all at once saddened and deeply touched by yet another blow My Gulf Coast has to endure, this one is sadly not a force of nature but a force of man. I am touched by the love people are showing the coast from all over the world. With this post I am joining the, “Love the Gulf Blog Carnival ” and you can read real blogs with real journalist and real photographers by simply scrolling thru some of them on the link below.
Learn more about what you can do to help with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Grab the badge and share the love. If you’ve written your own Love the Gulf post, add it below and visit the linky here or at host blogs Morningside Mom , Deb on the Rocks or Mommy Melee.