It’s been a week since Hurricane Ian devastated Southwest Florida, and I’m still in shock. As I watch footage of its impact, I can’t believe this is the same area I have loved for years.
Sanibel Island was my happy place. It was our go-to vacation spot. For many years my husband and I spent our vacations on this island, but we also loved exploring the area: Cayo Costa, Cape Coral, Pine Island, Matlacha, Captiva, Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Naples – now all devastated. Even the causeway to Sanibel Island was destroyed, leaving people stranded. I can’t help wondering what’s left? What’s salvageable? My heart breaks for all the people who have lost so much: family members, pets, homes, all their possessions, their livelihoods….
I’ve been writing/editing a novel that is set right where the hurricane did its worst. It was a beautiful area, rich with history, wildlife preserves, conservation land, beaches with the best shelling, quaint restaurants and boutiques – a tourist paradise.
I’ve spent countless hours researching the history and culture of the Calusa people who once lived there. I’ve walked the Calusa Heritage Trail, seen their shell mounds on the land they occupied throughout the area, and visited the Randell Research Center on Pine Island. Now I wonder if any signs of their existence survived.
As an author and reader, I have visited MacIntosh Books and Paper on Sanibel Island. The bookstore took on several feet of water. The moisture will cause mold, most likely making all of their inventory unsalvageable. The walkways around the Village Shops of Sanibel, where the bookstore is located, are unstable. The buildings will likely be ruled structurally unsound. Rebecca, the store owner, will look for an interim location to reopen until they can rebuild. If you’d like to help support them, you can 1. buy gift cards on their website to use at a later date or 2. shop their on-line store at bookshop.org/store/macintosh where orders will be fulfilled by Bookshop, but MacIntosh will get the proceeds. There are so many ways to help the people of Florida. Consider donations to The United Way, The Red Cross , The Salvation Army, Samaritan’s Purse, or The Humane Society.
The pictures in this blog are of my past trips to the area. I need to remember what it once was to give me hope that it can be again. Of course it will take years, and it will be different. It was such a special place. I’ve already made a donation, but I feel helpless here in Ohio. There’s so much work to be done. My heart breaks.
