Friends:

It has been a difficult day. The reality of my family's situation is slowly sinking in. Now we are being told it may be three to six months before we can return home. Though I have tried to remain positive, I couldn't hold back and I cried. Eliana, my 5-year-old, asked me, "Mommy, why are you crying?" I told her "I feel like a gray cloud. Gray clouds drop rain and the rain is like my tears." She wiped the tears from my face with her little hand and said, "You don't have to feel like a gray cloud, Mommy, because I am your sunshine!" She wrapped her arms around me and held me tight, patting me on the back.

In addition to losing our home, our belongings, my children's school, I have also lost my source of income. We estimate that it will be at six months to a year before I receive any work from the New Orleans and surrounding areas. I will definitely have to start over, from scratch, re-establishing myself in new areas. I have been networking and making contacts, hoping to plant seeds that will grow, and grow quickly!

It was Eliana's turn to cry when I explained that she had to go to a new school. She just entered Kindergarten and had finally transitioned into her class and bonded with her teacher. The prospect of doing it all over again has her terrified. Louisiana's Superintendent of Education asked that parents enroll their children in school as soon as possible. So we are searching for schools in our area.

This evening, a ray of sunshine came via email. It seems one of the seeds someone else planted on my behalf turned into a full grown tree – The Giving Tree. A school in the Houston area adopted our family and is gathering clothes, supplies, toys, and even luxury items for our family. I am blown away.

Another piece of sunshine came today. His name is Sean Buvala of Storyteller.net. Sean has offered to help me by offering a .pdf version of my book for sale on Storyteller.net. I estimate that if 100 storytellers purchase the print version of The Story Biz Handbook, I would have enough capital to have them printed as soft-bound books. In addition, it would enable me to have income to support my family. Storytellers would have a chance to really help a family in need and receive an awesome book in the process! You can order The Story Biz Handbook from my website at http://www.storyconnection.net or from http://www.storyteller.net through secure servers. Sean also said that if I can get more books printed, he will act as my temporary fulfillment house.

More sunshine streamed in when I read all the emails from concerned friends and colleagues. Storytellers from across the country are sending care packages to our kids here. I am so excited! In addition, our blessings have been bountiful.

The men in the house have taken over preparing breakfast giving the women a morning break from the kitchen. They tried to keep it a secret but tomorrow, I found out that my husband and my brother are whipping up homemade chocolate chip banana pancakes, bacon and eggs. Breakfast sunshine.

I see the sunshine peeking out from behind the gray cloud. Even though I do feel like a "gray cloud" at times, I hold on to hope and deep down, I know everything is going to be okay. Thank you for all the pieces of sunshine you continue to send my way.

Until next time...