a love letter to my city

Dear Calgary, my beloved native city.
I sit transfixed as the flood waters rise and the damage exceeds all expectations. I ache for the 100,000 residents displaced, for those whose homes have literally floated away. I weep as the pictures of the Saddledome are shown, as the 101st Calgary Stampede is called into question. I look to the west and south, to friends in surrounding communities who are suffering. I have lived here and loved living here nearly my whole life. I was born here, gave birth to my children here. I've struggled through the impossibly cold winters, relaxed in the sun of the glorious summer days. And now the water rises, and carries away with it the hopes and dreams of so many, in so many different ways.
Calgary, I'll be here for you. I'll be here to rebuild, to reclaim, to recover all that we have lost to the waters. I'll continue to sing your praises, to wash the mud from your streets, to support the lost and the aching. I'll be here to help you rise up again, to reclaim your spot as one of the greatest cities in Canada and the world. I'll pour my blood, sweat and tears into helping your citizens recover, your festivals to shine, your Stampede to celebrate. I'd do anything for you, my beloved hometown.