The Memories of Items

Five years ago today, Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast, devastating the city of New Orleans and surrounding areas. We all watched on television as people crawled onto rooftops, paddled through sewage and flood water, and stood dying on highways. It was terrible. Six months later, I had the privilege to lead a group of DePaul students to New Orleans to help in the recovery effort. We worked with Catholic Charities to gut homes. It was hard physical labor, but the real toll the work took was on our hearts. Seeing homes pulled off their foundations, cars on rooftops, and homes on top of homes was shocking. No words can describe what the people in New Orleans endured, and no words can express my amazement at their resilience.


The third home we worked on was actually in the process of being rebuilt. After gutting two homes, it was good to see something positive, although mixed with uncertainty. Outside this home, we found a birds nest with two eggs in it. The homeowner said and our team agreed they were a lovely symbol of the fragile hope that pulsed through some of those in the city.



We met some amazing people, but I learned most from one of my own. The fourth home had not been touched since the storm. We had the monumental task of going through all of the items inside and decide what to save and what to destroy. Mold had eaten through most of the belongings. As we had all week, we worked with a team from Ohio State University. They were troopers. Together we sorted through the items, at one point throwing away a bundle of black ribbon. One of our DePaul teammates became quite upset. She explained to our group that in some African-American families, these ribbons are an important part of a mourning ritual dating back to slavery and are a vital tie to lost loved ones. She explained why we needed to save these items, why we couldn't throw them away despite water damage. Her words, her passion, and her sincere commitment to a woman and a family she had never met were touching. These items were a tie to more than just one person; they were a tie to an entire culture. I can never thank my teammate enough for the lesson she taught me that day.

As we remember the people of New Orleans and the disaster they continue to recover from, we should also remember that they are resilient, strong, and truly unique. With that, here's a photo of a group of New Orleans musicians doing their thing and bringing joy to all those who saw them: