As you have undoubtedly heard, there’s been a wide area disaster and horrible tragedy in the South Central Hill Country of Texas. Even our AERIE family has been directly impacted by this tragic incident. For those members of our family, we grieve with you. We can not imagine the pain that comes when the joy of celebrating the birth of our Republic, turns to unfathomable loss of family and friends. We pray that you will be granted solace in these days and beyond.
While it will be some time before we know the toll on human lives, our SAR, Law Enforcement, Fire Service, Military, and Emergency Management Responders are working 24/7 to rescue survivors and recover those who didn’t. As a nation, we are truly blessed to have those selfless individuals, 95% of whom receive NO COMPENSATION (!) for their service! They spend countless hours training and preparing for events like this. They pay for their training and certifications out of their own pocket. In some cases, they may be reimbursed for their expenses in traveling to the incident area, but that always seems to be the exception.
Once this incident passes through the recovery phase, the victims of this disaster will still be facing years rebuilding all they have physically lost. We pray that you are comforted during these travails and receive the intangible resources of courage and strength to aid you as you recover. Know that we in Texas, as well as the rest of the nation, stand ready to assist in that recovery.