28 Weeks: Hurricane Katrina, The Before and After

Dear Baby A,

For the past two years on August 29th, Mommy has written a post that reflects on our Katrina story.  Growing up here in New Orleans, you will come to learn that everyone has one.  And before you roll your eyes at all of the grown ups talking about that mean old lady Katrina again, I hope you can spend a minute and read our story. 
Peace
Katrina: Five Years Later- The Day We Left
Katrina: Five Years Later - Out Came the Sun

You see, Baby A, six years ago today, we didn't know that life would change.  We didn't know that we would live in this world of the before and after.  In a world where the calendar on which you view your life would somehow start over on 8/29/05.  It is a world where your memories no longer reside in the places on the streets you where you made them.  They reside solely in your dreams.  You can see them late at night when you are fast asleep and the man in the moon allows you to.  I hope that while you live inside of me that when I close my eyes and I see our big peach house on Polk and Catina, you can see it too.  I hope you can see how full of love that house was.  I hope you can see the big pecan tree in the back yard that would leave its nutty treasures scattered at our feet for us to collect.  I hope you can see the long narrow side of the yard where my dad taught my sister how to pitch an indoorball with speed and precision.  I hope you can see the beautiful dark hardwood floors in the dining room where your Aunt Stephanie and I would put on socks to make our feet sufficiently slippery and play ice skater.  Or that you can see the fireplace where we took every important picture that needed to be captured, whether our date was our dad for father/daughter dance or some nervous young boy for homecoming.  I hope you can see my mom tucked away behind the bright light of the camcorder that she operated every Christmas morning as we paraded out to see what Santa had left under the tree.

Most of all, little one, I hope that you can see that it is not the value of one's residence that makes it special or priceless or worth saving.  In the mind of each and every New Orleanian lives memories just like these.  All made within the four walls of the place they called home.  And today each of them will remember with sadness that they can't actually show their soon to be little ones where all of this goodness took place.  They will remember today a life before and a life after Katrina. 

What I have come to realize as time distances us from our pre-Katrina life is that the post is shaping up to be just as sweet and the pre.  As a city, we are more vibrant today than we were six years ago.  As a people, we are stronger and more resolved to hold on to the beauty that resides innately in this city.  It is a place full of hope and promise  and desire for a better tomorrow.  It is a place that I am so proud to introduce you too.  While you might only be able to learn of the pre-Katrina New Orleans through our tales of times gone by, I revel in the fact that you will be a part of our new life here. 

And Baby A, I live with the hope that you will be our new beginning.  You will be our new measuring stick.  There will be our life before you and our life after. 

With Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Today we remember all of those whose lives were lost as a result of Hurricane Katrina.  No matter their age, they were someone's little one.  Their lives are our inspiration to make New Orleans the place they didn't want to leave.