My boss Holley took off work on her birthday on this exact day last year – May 20, 2013. It’s a birthday she’ll never forget because it was the same day a deadly tornado ripped through her hometown of Moore, Oklahoma, wiping out entire neighborhoods and claiming 24 victims.
Holley took cover in her Moore home when it happened, but luckily her house and her life were spared.
Many people she knew were not so lucky with their home, like her friends Amy and Adam. After living in their house for less than a year, the tornado caused one wall and part of their roof to cave into the rest of their home.
They were devastated. They loved their home and had made so many improvements to it. Just a few days before, they finished tiling their bathroom.
Amy and Adam were forced to find a place to rent while the majority of their home had to be rebuilt from the studs.
Seven months later, they were finally able to move back into their home and hosted their second housewarming party a couple of months later.
For their housewarming gift, Holley surprised her friends by getting them a custom wooden sign featuring a large letter H and their last name Hanson along with the words “Reestablished 2014” at the very bottom.
That one word – Reestablished – says a lot. It means that Amy and Adam, despite everything, chose to rebuild their home and their lives in Moore. That’s Oklahoma Strong.
Leave a Reply