Christmas in the gulf

I have never really had the opportunity to see Christmas decorations set up in an area where there is no snow. I have never been in a place where the lights of Christmas have lit up a hurricane disaster area. Now I have experienced both.
In Bayou La Batre things are not back to normal but the people have their electric up and running so they can show off their Christmas spirit by putting out Christmas lights. In this way they are fortunate.
In Biloxi and many other areas there are not any lights on, and certainly not any Christmas lights. It is so sad to see the conditions people are still living in. This past weekend we handed out supplies in Biloxi and people clammered out of their "homes" to get warm coats and other things. We met one man who was living in a home with three others. In their front yard was a "bonfire" and a pot sitting above it to boil water. The water was being used to provide a warm bath. It would also likely be used for staying warm overnight as the temperatures were dropping down below freezing.
Many people in Biloxi and other areas will not be celebrating Christmas as many of us will. They wont have gifts under a tree. They won't have a tree.
Let us all remember how blessed we are. Many are not so fortunate.