It took years for me not to go into a blind panic when a storm approached. Even now, my pulse races when the skies darken. You never forget that sound, or the feeling of the air closing in around you.
We were lucky, on our block, it jumped over us... dumping debris everywhere, even destroying the screen house in our back yard. But our house and our family were safe.
Every year on this day, I remember our losses, and I count our blessings.