The year was 1989, and I had just graduated from high school in May of that year.  A few short months later when I was trying to stretch my wings out in this great big world, fear struck as a hurricane was headed our way.  I’ll never forget boarding up the windows of our home and securing items outside as much as possible as we awaited the storm that was approaching.  While it would hit landfall on the Isle of Palms near Charleston, South Carolina, an hour and a half away from my small hometown, it was such a massive storm that the effects would definitely be felt in my area.

My dad stayed up on storm watch as my sister and I tried to go to our separate rooms to sleep. I remember praying for our safety and trusting God to protect us all …

And … He did!

We lost power sometime in the night when my eyelids finally decided to close and allow sleep to come.  We awoke to downed trees, but thankfully our house did not sustain any real destruction or damage.  We were part of the lucky ones.  Yard cleanup was all that was required, and shortly after daybreak, we began this task in our front yard.

I’ll never forget wearing a knit sweater the color of the sun with a pair of Bermuda shorts as I helped my family clean up fallen limbs.  As I bent down to reach for another limb, a guy that expressed an interest in me during my Senior year of high school stopped by with a couple of his friends.  He could not hide his amusement as he smirked at my apparel, and looking back, I’m sure I was a complete mess with my hair pulled back in a ponytail working to get the yard free of debris.  I stopped only for a minute before continuing my task, and despite how I looked, I was just thankful to be there in one piece with my family on yard duty!

It’s hard to believe that 26 years have passed now since Hurricane Hugo swept across the coast of Charleston causing destruction along the way.  What is even harder to believe is that I have been out of school for those 26 years!  In my heart of hearts, I’m still YOUNG … and yet, time just keeps marching on trying to tell me that I’m not as young as I used to be.  Young at heart, though, is what I will always be!

This unforgettable moment was brought to you by the prompt phrase of “A moment I will never forget …” on Karen’s Tuesday at Ten.