Picking Up the Pieces

What do you do when you have to pick up the pieces…and all you have left is pieces?

The answer is simple – doing it much more complex.

You pick them up one piece at a time.

This past weekend, the Commonwealth of Kentucky suffered through one of the most horrific storms ever to pass across our nation. The tornado remained on the ground for over 200 miles through the bluegrass and leaving in the aftermath destruction, devastation, and despair. Those that were able emerged into a world that looked very different than it had just a few minutes before.

It is difficult to describe what the landscape looks like after a storm has leveled everything and left a world of rubble behind. Storms and disasters come along in life, we all know that, but that does make them any easier to recover from.

So, now – Kentuckians are starting to put the shattered pieces of their world back together.

And you do so one piece at a time.

But the state has not been alone. With each piece that has been lifted, each moment that has followed, in the worst moments of tragedy we have seen glimpses of the best of humanity. Neighbor helping neighbor, people helping people, folks who are willing to give of their time, their energy, and their resources to step into a hurting world and do their best to offer love, encouragement, and hope.

Each person has a task to do and this is an all hands on deck call to assemble and help. The important thing is that we help one another, put our arms around one another, comfort one another, and pray for each other.

Rolling up your sleeves and going to work balanced with the power of prayer is a great help today. Pray for the people that lost everything. These are mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters, children that have lost their homes and lost their lives, lost their property. They need our prayers.

Knowing this tragedy has happened just before Christmas, John Calipari planned a telethon for his Kentucky basketball team to raise money for Western Kentucky tornado victims.

“We play basketball,” Calipari said after the game this past Saturday. “This is someone losing their mother and working in the warehouse, working for Amazon and all of the sudden this happens.”

Prior to the start of the game, Calipari and his players visited the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes on Notre Dame’s campus to light candles for the victims of the devastating series of tornadoes. Coach Cal understands the importance of his role and the team to the state. They are an important part of Kentucky and Kentucky is an important part of the team.

By the way and as you probably know, the Kentucky Wildcats lost 66-62 at Notre Dame. The game was flat and unspectacular. It was close, and it would have been nice to win, but the Cats didn’t.

Yet – in the grand scheme of things, it really isn’t that important.

What is important is this team’s willingness to pause, reflect, remember and care for those impacted by the storm. What matters is the work they have done to bring help and hope to the state. A basketball game is just a basketball game, at the University of Kentucky, we are just built different. This team and this staff have proven that by once again stepping up when and where they are needed the most. They are helping to pick up the pieces, one piece at a time.

There are so many ways to help – find the place to connect, and please, do what you can

Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund

The University of Kentucky College of Medicine has established a GoFundMe page collecting donations here.

Kentucky Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters

Visit kentuckyvoad.org/.