“Sorrow prepares you for joy. It violently sweeps everything out of your house, so that new joy can find space to enter. It shakes the yellow leaves from the bough of your heart, so that fresh, green leaves can grow in their place. It pulls up the rotten roots, so that new roots hidden beneath have room to grow. Whatever sorrow shakes from your heart, far better things will take their place.” ~ Rumi
Since I was 15 years old, Sally Barker has been one of my dearest friends. Life took me away after high school so that we’ve rarely had time together since. That made our hours long talk today extra special. She’s the City Clerk in West Liberty. Her office is in City Hall, one of only a few Main Street buildings that were salvageable after the tornado. Her stories are jaw dropping, and let me tell you, that town doesn’t have a better champion than Sally Barker. I am incredibly proud of her. That good heart and smart head of hers has served her well, and us, too. Ironically, after 10 months, they were tearing down Commercial Bank while I was there. It sits across from Sally’s office. As decimated as it was, at least it was there. Words fail.
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