February 5th may be a normal day for some, but if you're from Lafayette, Tennessee, it is a day you will never forget. This year marks the nine year anniversary of an EF3 tornado completing destroying the small town of Lafayette. While the town was demolished, the sense of family and community was strengthened.
Having spent my whole life in Lafayette, I knew how close our community was. Everyone knew everyone. There was no such thing as going to Walmart without seeing a familiar face. I never thought that our town could be closer than it already was, but I was so wrong.
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After the tornado demolished my grandparents' house, my heart was absolutely broken. They had lost everything–clothes, photos, and even their cars. And for me, I had lost the house where so much of my childhood was spent. There were so many memories in that house of sleepovers, baking cookies, and Sunday dinners. In an instant, it was all gone. Nothing was left. That was the house that built me, and I had to hold back tears as I realized nothing would ever be the same again.
The next morning after the storm, we started to sort through the rubbish of what was left of my grandparents' house. As I saw that there was nothing left at all, I realized how truly blessed my family was that my grandparents survived. It was a miracle from God.
My family and I had only been sorting through the remains of the house for a few minutes before different people in the community came to help. They immediately asked what they could do, what my grandparents needed, and offered them a place to stay. Some would stay for a few minutes, while others would donate hours of their time. People I had never seen before even stopped by to help. There were so many people helping and sharing their stories with one another. It was a lot for a 12-year-old girl to take in.
After all the support my family received, I realized that a house doesn't make a home–the people do. While homes and cars and stores were destroyed, the same people that I had grown up with were still there to lend a hand. The town that built me could easily be rebuilt. The people, though, could never be replaced.
Nine years later, Lafayette is stronger. It is rebuilt. There are new houses, new cars, and new stores. But, the kindness and love and generosity offered by the community is the one thing that has remained the same. Sometimes it takes a horrible event to show you how thankful you truly are for your life and the people in it. Lafayette is forever changed, and we will never forget February 5th, the day our community was destroyed but strenthened.
