Contributed by Kirk Pugh

So for several days I have happily given time to providing sustenance (meals) for the scores of volunteers from around the country who have traveled at their own expense to help our community.

I took pride and pleasure in providing a meal for our guests that came to our home.

I gently bragged about the culture of our company and the good that we do through KW Cares and our local agent efforts.

Today I led a crew of 11 and we spent 55 man-hours throwing a young family’s entire lives into a big trash heap on the side of the road... everything they owned in the world.

They lost livestock, automobiles, and EVERYTHING that they owned.

When I drove into my gated neighborhood and drove down my manicured street after my 13-hour day - I recall being “miffed” that the waste management crowd had “still” not picked-up the trash.

This young family is only one story among 1000s in our community that have lost most physical vestiges of their lives - many with no flood insurance - still many without power or running water...

I am embarrassed by my good fortune - humbled by the grace and strength of those affected.

We did a good thing today. We performed a service that needed performing and we helped a young family- saved them tens of thousands of dollars - and yet the end result is that we destroyed their home (as they knew it) and threw it in a wet, moldy, smelly pile.

God bless them and all those similarly impacted.

My “ray of sunshine?” We found her wedding dress in the sealed bag - not wet, not moldy - unharmed.

God bless their marriage.

Kirk-out.