Kelley Brown- "Flood" by Annie Dillard

During the summer by Tinker Creek, Annie Dillard tells us a story about a flood from Hurricane Agnes. From all of the rain of the hurricane, the creek overflowed and was raised, even over a bridge which is normally eleven feet above the water level. She emphasized the strength and unknowing of the raging water that was overtaking the area and community. There were homes and cars that were filled with and destroyed by the water and there were people who had to be rescued from their own houses by motor boats. At the end of her chapter Annie Dillard comes up with a false ending: when one family came home and their house was destroyed there was an untouched area that was now producing giant edible mushrooms.

This made up ending made me think of how many times in our lives we have storms and floods and how they hurt along the way but how there is good that can come out of it. Earlier this week I witnessed and was a part of how a bad situation and storm can come out to be the best possible thing. My boyfriend is a Young Life leader and works in a local high school here in Newport News. Three of the guys that he works with are brothers and live in government housing projects. They have always had a real rough home life and, almost everyday, they would be at my boyfriend’s house as he would cook them dinner, mentor them, do their laundry, etc. This past Sunday, however, their mom walked out on them and left them locked out of their apartment. The only thing that they had was each other—it was just the three of them. It was really neat to see how God was moving through the whole situation and how even though it was a rough time with their mom abandoning them, there was good that came out of it. The good that came out of it was that their older sister came down and, on Monday morning, we were able to go to the Juvenile Custody Office and she was able to get custody of the boys. They went to live with her and her husband in Maryland and even though it was a drastic change in their lives, it was the best thing for them. Some differences that they have now that they did not have in their apartment before: an actual father and mother figure who care for and love them and actually talk to them, food that they are allowed to eat, they do not have to be locked out of their house anymore while no one is home because they were never given a key or allowed inside when their mother was out, their apartment is in a safer area, etc. This story from Annie Dillard really touched my heart because of the recent incident where I was shown that through our storms, floods, and hard times there are good things that come out of it. Even after the storm there can come a rainbow or according to Annie Dillard, after the flood there can come giant mushrooms.