Katrina

THERE IS SADNESS IN OUR COUNTRY, IN THE AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE KATRINA...THE DESTRUCTION, THE FLOODS.....THE DEATHS AND LOSS OF LOVED ONES.  OUR COUNTRY IS NOW IN A STATE OF MOURNING...THE FLAG IS AT HALF-STAFF....ANOTHER VERY SAD ASPECT IS THAT AROUND THE WORLD, THE HEADLINES ON NEWSPAPERS HAVE READ THINGS LIKE , " AMERICA IS NOW LIKE  A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY."  HOW SAD FOR THOSE THAT LOVE THEIR COUNTRY...OUR GOVERMENT HAS ACTUALLY EMBARRESSED THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY.....

AND SO, I'VE SAT GLUED TO THE TV, LIKE OTHERS, I SUPPOSE....TEARFUL AND DISTRESSED BY SUCH DEVISTATION.

JIMMY AND I , ALTHOUGH SEPERATED THESE YEARS BY THE WALLS OF PRISON, ARE VERY THANK-FUL TO HAVE EACH OTHER.  OUR BEING APART IS A LONG, PROLONGED ONE....THOSE IN NEW ORLEANS...WELL, THEY ARE STILL IN THE BEGINNING STAGES OF SHOCK.....YES, ONCE AGAIN, I TALK ABOUT THE GRIEVING PROCESS.

AND SO, I SAID TO JIMMY, "ASK YOUR BOSS AT IGA FOODSTORE IF THE STORE CAN DONATE SOME BOTTLED WATER TO NEW ORLEANS."  JIMMY ASKED HIM, ON SATURDAY, AND THE BOSS'S RESPONSE WAS, "NO , THEY HAVE ENOUGH OF WATER."  I WAS REALLY SHOCKED, TO HEAR THOSE WORDS, FROM AN INTELLIGENT PERSON.  SO, I SAID TO JIMMY, "LET'S SEND THE WATER FROM US."  JIMMY REPLIED, "FRAN, I ALREADY THOUGHT ABOUT THAT."...YES, WE ARE ON THE SAME WAVE-LENGTH...THOUGHT PROCESS.  AND SO ON MONDAY, JIMMY WILL CALL THE IGA FOODSTORE IN LOUISIANA  (OR EVEN FLORIDA...IGA FOODSTORES ARE THROUGHOUT AMERICA, AND WORLD-WIDE), AND HE WILL SEND TO NEW ORLEANS SOMETHING LIKE ONE PALLETE OF BOTTLED WATER...THAT IS SOMETHING LIKE 300 GALLONS OF WATER....JIMMY WILL DONATE THAT OUT OF HIS OWN PAYCHECK, AND WILL COST SOMETHING LIKE $125  to $150.  IT IS ALL THAT WE CAN DO.....ON THE 3 HOUR SPECIAL ON LARRY KING ON SATURDAY NIGHT, THEY EVEN ASKED IF LARGE FOOD STORES CAN DONATE FOOD AND WATER..........THEY WILL NEED THE FOOD AND WATER FOR MANY MORE MONTHS.........I HOPE JIMMY'S BOSS DOES NOT EVER KNOW WHAT IT IS LIKE TO BE DEHYDRATED, AND THIRSTY FOR EVEN 1 DROP OF WATER.....................THIS IS ALL THAT JIMMY AND I CAN DO.....IT IS SO SMALL, COMPARED TO WHAT IS NEEDED....BUT WE NEED TO DO THIS, ESPECIALLY SINCE JIMMY IS WORKING AS ASSISTANT MANAGER IS A FOOD-STORE....HE IS AROUND FOOD AND WATER ALL DAY....IT IS DISHEARTENING TO KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE DYING OF DEHYDRATION AND THIRST IN OUR OWN COUNTRY.

MY SISTER ASKED ME, HOW WILL YOU KNOW IF THEY REALLY GET THAT WATER?........I HOPE THEY GET IT...THAT'S ALL....NOTHING IS GUARENTEED IN LIFE, BUT AT LEAST WE CAN TRY.

JIMMY HAS BEEN IN THE PRISON SYSTEM FOR ALMOST 2 1/2 YEARS, AND WE HAVE BEEN MARRIED FOR 4 1/2 YEARS.  LET ME TELL YOU, THERE HAS NEVER BEEN ONE DAY, OR ONE PHONE CONVERSATION, THAT WE DON'T SAY TO EACH OTHER, "I LOVE YOU."............SAYING "I LOVE YOY. " IS VERY IMPORTANT.........DO NOT DELAY.....SAY IT TO THOSE YOU LOVE, TODAY....NOW.  DO NOT REGRET , LIKE THOSE IN THE SOUTH WHO HAVE LOVED ONES THEY LOST, THAT THEY NEVER TOLD THAT PERSON THEY LOVE THEM...FOR MANY IT IS TOO LATE...........LEARN TO SAY THOSE WORDS, IF YOU MUST.........AND NEVER, EVER GO TO BED ANGRY AT ONE ANOTHER...ALWAYS ,MAKE UP BEFORE YOU GO TO BED.

JIMMY AND I SAY THE WORDS, "I LOVE YOU, " HUNDREDS OF TIMES PER DAY....WE NEVER TIRE OF IT, AND WE FEEL TOTALLY CONNECTED WITH ONE ANOTHER.

JIMMY AND I MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PHYSICALLY CONNECTED THROUGH-OUT HIS YEARS OF INCARCERATION, BUT WE HAVE STAYED CONNECTED IN A MENTAL, AND SPIRITUAL WAY.....BEFORE HE WENT TO PRISON, WE MADE THAT VOW TO EACH OTHER....THAT MENTALLY WE WOULD ALWAYS REMAIN CONNECTED....THAT WE WOULD LEARN TO USE OUR MINDS TO STAY CONNECTED...AND YES, IT IS POSSIBLE TO DO...WE DID IT, AND THUS ARE MORE CONNECTED IN OUR MARRIAGE THAN EVER............

I HOPE YOU HAVE A NICE EVENING, DESPITE OUR COUNTRY'S CIRCUMSTANCES, AND DESPITE THOSE PEOPLE WITHOUT THEIR LOVED ONES...WHETHER THEIR LOVED ONES ARE AFFECTED BY KATRINA, OR WHETHER YOUR LOVED ONE IS AWAY FROM YOU, IN PRISON.......

GOOD-NITE........................FRAN