Dawn Isenhower Sibcy Cline Realtors

Back in September, the remnants of Hurricane Ike blew through the Cincinnati area like a very bad dream. There was extensive damage, and the power was out in some areas for a week. As difficult as that time period was for some of the people in this area, it was but a drop in the bucket compared to what people went through in New Orleans a few years ago during Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita.

Last night, there was a television program on PBS that completely captivated my attention. The focus of the story was on a man named Mr. Gettis and his struggle to rebuild his home after the wind from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and the resulting floods, brought ruin to his home and scattered his family.

While he worked on rebuilding the home, with just a little help from volunteers, he battled mother nature, frustration, loneliness, and tons of red tape. His wife, who had moved to Wisconsin with one of their daughters, was desperately homesick and had suffered a stroke while she was there. All that she wanted to do was to go home, but there was nothing to go home to.

Mr. Gettis just wanted to get his wife home and to get his life back to normal. He said that what he missed the most were the grandchildren running around the house. He referred to his family often, speaking of how much he missed them since they were all now so far away.

It took him 2 years to get his home rebuilt and to get electricity. After that, his wife got to go home. When she got there, however, she was deeply disappointed. It was no longer the same. Only the presence of the grandchildren lifted their spirits and made this house feel like home again.

When asked if Mr. Gettis would do it all over again, he said that he probably would not. I felt devastated for him. I expected a happy ending. The house had been rebuilt, right? Even though the actual structure was restored, it was not home and probably would never feel the same.

There are houses everywhere, but it's the people who make a house "home."