I would be remiss if I didn't mention the fact that Nashville was hit by a pretty powerful tornado on Tues, March 2nd. My fiancee and I managed to avoid any damage and our home was unscathed from the experience. Some of my friends were not as lucky - one had a chunk of roof taken off by felled trees and one had their small business shutdown indefinitely from roof damage. Most importantly, everyone is safe and fine but it's always alarming when a natural disaster rolls through - the feeling of helplessness is strong.

I spent the majority of Tuesday at my friends house helping him clear his yard of the downed trees. Over the course of the day, many neighbors came by to help pick up debris and one even brought by a chainsaw and spent several hours chopping away; giving his time and effort at no request. Various strangers throughout the day drove by and gave us water and snacks; just to make sure we were hanging in there. These may be small offerings but they were certainly appreciated.

Having lived in Tennessee most of my life, I've experienced several events like this. We had a Christmas Tornado in 1988, a tornado that hit downtown in 1998, a massive flood in 2010 and plenty of other storms in between. For each one, the community managed to come together and help rebuild and restore. I'm sure that's not true for 100% of people - when your home is completely destroyed by a tornado, you never fully recover - but there's an underlying positivity to most of it.

If you feel compelled to contribute, there is a Middle Tennessee Emergency Response Fund and multiple fundraisers for those in need. These are just the tip of the iceberg and more resources can be sought out to find additional places to give.

For anyone reading this that had themselves, family or friends directly impacted by the tornado, my condolences to you and yours. If you need help, please reach out and I'll do what I can.