Texas, Our Texas!

Fires, tornadoes, drought, and now a hurricane.  It has been a rough time for our Lone Star State. I felt like she needed a love letter.

Early in the year, fires in the panhandle had trucks come up the highways and interstates providing assistance to panhandle families who had lost family, herds, fences, and feed.

Now, in the wake of Harvey, those trucks have been turned around, and the Panhandle sends them back full to the coastal families who now find themselves in need.  (Our mamas taught us you never return a dish empty.)  Our hearts ache for our fellow Texans on the coast.  We know too well the feeling of loss.  

Regardless of the challenges ahead of us, we Texans generally manage to rise to the occasion.  We don't have time to worry about those things that really don't matter.  We have a job to do.  I'm proud of my state and her residents.  Those of us who trace our lineage back to the very founding of this Great State have had it bred into us:  True Texans will not sit down and complain and wonder what will become of us.  We don't have time for that.  There's work to be done, and we don't shy away from it.  Stringing fence line, pulling soaked carpets, swinging a hammer, filling a trash bag, collecting donations....the work is the greatest of equalizers.  Man, woman, child and beast - we set our hand to the task before us, and we make our future, relying on prayer and a faith that Our Texas has been blessed.

We know we boggle the minds of those not from here.  The pre-set story lines of other areas of our nation do not apply.  While they may call it "independence", we know the truth.  It's teamwork.  That is what has made this state great.  She was not built on the backs of independent individuals.  She was built through the hard work of like-minded men and women who believed that guided by purpose, and supported by effort, we can't be stopped.  You might slow us down, maybe even win a battle (Hello, Alamo), but we will see this through to the end. We just don't quit.  That is what makes us special.

Throughout our history we have welcomed the support and assistance of our neighbors.  Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Missouri, even as far away as Wisconsin, fine people of like ilk have put the talents and means with which they have been blessed and rushed to aid us this year.  We appreciate y'all, and one thing is for certain:  It will not be forgotten, and when the time comes, the favor will be returned.

As the dust settles over the panhandle, and the waters recede from the coastal areas, know that Texans will stand up and rebuild.  Know that in many cases, we already are.  We love our beautiful, wild state.  She's given us strength and good perspective on life, so we'll honor her with our effort.  She expects us to square our shoulders and get busy.  We have plenty of evidence to support our confidence that we can survive anything even if all we start with is a prayer.

Indomitable spirit, endless resilience.  That is who we are.  May God Bless Texas.

Texas, Our Texas!

With love,

West Texas Mama