“We were still in bed when we got the call – a warning that the entire town of High River was filling with water.

“I remember the panic I felt as my husband and I quickly packed everything we could. How does one choose what to save? I remember throwing clothes into a bag and filling my arms with what I could hold. The moment passed in slow motion – what took High River an hour to submerge felt like 10 years.

“We drove away oblivious to the fact that it would be six weeks until we found out if our home was still standing. High River was complete chaos. People scrambled to gather everything they could, not knowing when or what they would return to. If it wasn’t for our family, we would have had nowhere to go. For that entire six weeks I tried to prepare myself for bad news, but nothing could have prepared me for the reality of what we had lost.

“Our house endured the flood, but we lost our basement and along with it a lifetime full of memories. Photos of family, weddings, vacations – every document and memento that we had collected over the course of our lives was unsalvageable. How do you describe devastation in its fullest? I felt as though my life was ruined along with those items.

“Things are just things, everyone told me. I tried to believe them, but I couldn’t – what we lost was our treasures and they were irreplaceable. What made matters worse was the fact that our insurance didn’t even cover half of the cost of our prized possessions or repairs. We’re retired, so we quickly fell deep into debt fixing our home and replacing our essential items all after we had just spent our lives paying it off.

“I started experiencing physical pain, brought on by what my doctor identified as stress. The flood impacted me in every way possible: physically, mentally, and financially.

“I was left to start again from scratch – making new memories was the only hope I had. But it wasn’t easy. I couldn’t let go and couldn’t focus on the future. I was incapable of letting go. Nothing would register in my mind, and holding conversations became emotionally exhausting. I knew I was not myself – depression was sinking in.

“After four months, I gave up talking to anyone about how I felt. I knew that even my family would get tired of listening to me cry. They could tell that my depression was starting to consume me, and encouraged me to get counselling. After some contemplation I realized they were right, that counselling really was the best way to share my feelings and begin to recover.

“The Calgary Counselling Centre took me right away. I was shocked at how fast and easily I could get help.

“My counsellor made me feel important enough to listen, to give advice, and to care. She let me cry it out and was patient and understanding. She was an absolute blessing, and I am eternally grateful for the help that I got. Without counselling, I don’t know where I would be – probably in a deep, dark depression.

“I still have fears. Every time I smell mold or stand in the rain, I cringe. But I can finally smile again. I have found cheerfulness in my life, and have learned to be grateful for what I do have. I now have hope for my future and am looking forward to making new memories.

“I pray every day that those who suffered like me will persevere, reach out for help, and realize that hope is just a phone call away.”

Norma