Monday, September
11, 2017
An Ode of gratitude to the Red Cross
It has been 3 very stressful days for millions of Floridians
that hunkered down at shelters throughout South Florida
due to the most powerful hurricane to hit Florida
in many years.
My thoughts are especially with those of us, about 350 plus,
that spend the scariest moments due to Hurricane Irma, for the past 3 days,
while at the same time, the most wonderful moments as a result of the most
caring crew that worked at the Ave Maria
University gymnasium during the
last 72 hours.
I will not be able to name everyone but I will remember
their faces that as angel sent from heaven, worked so cheerfully to make us all
feel safe and sound.
Our family of four, my wife, and two sons ages 6 and 8, and I
have indelibly edged in our minds the beautiful faces of the Davis Family,
husband and wife from Wisconsin.
They came from that far away to serve those of us who never imagined
their work would make us feel so safe during those scary hours of this
hurricane.
Polly Frank, the last Red Cross lady that we spoke as we got
into our car to go home. Her smile and stories of her volunteering for the past
few years made us think that something more than just matter is working inside
our bodies that makes her willing to put her life at risk, and leave her dear
husband behind in Minnesota, so she can comfort families and people like us.
Joe, the one in charge of putting up all signs, who was so
adept in the Spanish language that everyone understood perfectly well what was
needed to be said to keep everyone safe and sound.
The Sheriff, the assistant Sheriffs and deputies who gave us
strength, even though they themselves were afraid and concerned for their
families who had to spend those 3 nights all by themselves. Those law
enforcement pillars that with their looks and word of encouragement made me
feel that everything was going to be alright.
To the Ave Maria University students who came to play soccer
with ours and the rest of the bored children, who loved it and released the
pressure during the awaiting moments before this hurricane arrived with its
incredibly destructive force.
To the directors of Ave Maria University, who with love and
kindness sent us a warm meal, to all the 350 plus people in the shelter. What a
nice gesture of love and kindness. We were reminded of the kindness demonstrated by one of the most
exemplary person who ever lived and who fed 5 thousand from
two fishes and five loaves of bread. Thank you, it will be
remembered for a very long time.
We the Echeverria Family want to express our gratitude to
all of those who gave us once again a reason to love, even more so with dedication
and focus to serve our fellow man and woman and child.
It is only when you give that you receive the most. For, it
has always been repeated to us that “There is more happiness in giving than in
receiving”. How true then those words became evident this last 3 days, as every
one of the volunteer members of the Red Cross, the Sheriff in charge of law
enforcement at the Ave Maria Shelter, the Ave Maria students, young men and
girls, who played with our children while they ran in joy after the soccer ball
that kept them happy for hours before the hurricane.
Finally, I must not forget to thank my neighbors Matt and Denay [forgive me if I misspelled your name], for their nice grilled hamburgers, lunch and dinner, while we had not electric power. As well as my neighbor Elliot and Brenda, their son and daughter for giving us generator power after the hurricane, thus saving our refrigerator full of groceries.
It has become evident that the love is the most powerful gift the designer of our minds and body could have endowed us with.
Thank you Ave Maria volunteers and all the sheltered people who so wonderfully got along with every one, even though there must have been at least a hundred different nationalities at that shelter. Everyone deserves a great thank you, but the most important person we thank is our Heavenly Father who put love in every one of us to reflect his image at moments like this.
Destra, Fred, David and Danian
September, 11th,
2017
