Three years ago I sat at my desk and saw the photos and videos posted online in the aftermath of hurricane Ian. I felt a catch in my throat as I saw what happened to the small community just off the coast of Fort Myers, Florida.
You see, I grew up in the state of Florida, just a few hours north in Ocala, and my family spent several years vacationing there. More recently, even though I live in Ohio now, I’ve taken my own family back there, and my children have made memories on the same beaches I did when I was their age.
We all cried over the devastation to our home-away-from-home. It was hard enough thinking about the loss from a distance, but we also thought of the losses for the people who live in that community whom we’d grown to love and appreciate, as well as, the harm brought to the habitat and the animals who live there too…