Spring into action

photo from UWIRE: The College Network
Aftermath of tornado in Henryville, IN

Spring has come early to Indiana. On my run today, I marveled over how quickly everything is greening up. Sunny daffodils are smiling from underneath flowering trees. Birds sing at every turn. The debris of winter has been cleared away and the neighborhood looks lovely.

As I ran, I began a litany of gratitude for all the good in my life.

Family, friends, health, a running skirt to hide my hind quarters. I am truly blessed.

Yes, my house may be in Indiana, but it is a nice home, ornery at times, but it generally has a sweet disposition. Most importantly, it has the essentials. You know, walls and a roof. I'll add those to my list.

Some of my Hoosier neighbors are not so lucky. It has been two and a half weeks since an F4 tornado tried to erase the small town of Henryville, Indiana, from the map.

Being new to Indiana, I didn't know much about the place. I'll add Google Search to my list of things to be thankful for.

Here's what I know about Henryville:

Clark State Forest, Henryville, IN
photo by c.brown

Henryville is the birthplace of one Colonel Harland Sanders. That's right, no KFC without Henryville.


It is where the oldest state forest in Indiana, Clark State Forest, can be found.





Also, Lyle Lovett once sang a song about Henryville, called "Up in Indiana."

Henryville is home to some of the bravest school bus drivers around. On March 2nd, the tornado sirens began wailing after busses left schools. Despite some drivers having to ditch their buses at the last minute and sprint to safe places with the children in their care, all the Henryville school students made it safely through the storm.

In Henryville there lives a mother who lost her legs protecting her two children as their house collapsed around them. Her children are unharmed.

Also in Henryville there are a few jokers who think it's a good idea to stand outside and take a video of the storm for You Tube. Hey, it takes all kinds, right?

In Henryville you can find a flattened factory. You can see what the chassis of a school bus looks like once the shiny yellow cover has been ripped off and tossed aside like a banana peel.

Henryville, IN, school after the tornado on March 2, 2012

Despite it's lack of houses with walls and windows, Henryville remains a home. Tomorrow, Henryville students will return to school in rented spaces in neighboring towns. Their own schools were destroyed.

Seems like this town's got a few Keepers.

If you're interested in helping, Author's for Henryville is a group of Indiana writers raising money to help rebuild the Henryville school libraries. Today is the last day to make a donation and be entered in the raffle to win awesome reader swag.

Do good, win a book. Let's add that to the gratitude list, shall we?