Proud of Cape Coral and her residents
To the editor:
I’ve seen many tornados back in Texas where I am originally from. I’ve also seen the regrettable aftermath that follows where chance saw it strike and how too often it painfully interrupts a place where lives are being built and where lives are being lived. In my youth, I narrowly escaped being victim of one of these storm’s wrath a couple of times. They are scary, they are powerful, and they are indeed the very personification of what darkness we all dread in the corners of our minds. However, from what I’ve experienced of this most recent tornado in Cape Coral, I’ve not ever personally seen such darkness dissipated in a community by a force of brilliantly shining light.
Sunday morning, after the storm, was where my outlook, my attitude, and my sentiment would begin being evolved towards a sense of optimism and appreciation. Appreciation for what kind of resiliency the hearts of people living in this community are made of.
In a rush of wanting to help, yet plainly knowing the area was still hazardous and I could not simply just drive over and roll-up my sleeves. I thought I would try to help in what way I felt I could. I created a page on Facebook called the “Cape Coral Tornado Info and Resource page” with just that aim in mind – to try and help people have an outlet on social media where they could find help, information and resources. As I write this, a little over a week later, it sits at 1,576 likes with a statistical reach of over 57,000 people. It got off the ground with help from members of city government and my Facebook friends sharing it and it just went from there.
“Humbled” is patently understating how I feel about the experience of having taken part with my wife Melissa in doing our best to manage this page for those it might stand to benefit. I say humbled because all week I’ve had what equates to a front-row seat for watching some of the BEST, most empathetic, and selfless acts that any person is ever capable of -and these were from residents of OUR city.
These were not anecdotal philanthropists in some distant place struck by disaster, but rather Cape Coral residents; people I share these local roads with every day. I’m fairly accustomed to being involved in public affairs as I serve as an appointed member of a board here in the city and also as president of the Cape Coral Civic Association, but this has been of a much different facet.
I just wanted to share, from what rare vantage point I had throughout the tough week that followed the storm, that it has been an experience I’ll not soon forget and one I’ve not quite yet found all the right, or perhaps even adequate, words for.
Cape Coral, I’ve been made to understand in the last week that you are a community whose moral heart is largely composed of what strength and fortitude diamonds and steel would find themselves envious of. I was able to witness, while attending the clean-up event the Thursday following the storm, that if darkness does decide to come to this city, it will be treated as if it is nothing more than reason enough for each to shine brighter.
To those affected by the storm, I hope you find what you need to be able to take it one day at a time, “this too shall pass” as they say and I so sincerely hope, as do many others, that you arrive on the other side of this having been made whole again, as good, or better, as you were before.
This has been yet another instance for where I find myself feeling a sense of unmatched pride and gratitude by and from the character of people I’m honored to call my neighbors. In the interest of that, perhaps the right words I’m looking for are, as of right now, simply these:
Thank you to the people of Cape Coral who saw it as their duty and obligation to set everything in their life down in order to help pick up the lives of others. There’s something good to be proud of here. From what unique point-of-view I’ve had throughout this I’ve been able to see, and exactly so, what worthwhile product is delivered when so many fearlessly pick up a brush and contribute such meaningful strokes towards the “bigger picture” we each hope and aspire to paint for the future. Great work. Our city perhaps truly is as its motto began, a “City of Superlatives,” and especially so when it comes to being at our BEST when it is needed.
Graham Madison Morris
President, Cape Coral Civic Association