Most of us sat horrified and frozen to our TV sets as we watched unfold the damage left in the wake of Katrina on the Gulf Coast. In a matter of hours peoples lives were changed forever. Lives lost in an instant. People clinging to life and hoping that help would come. Overwhelmed rescuers many who had also lost homes and been separated from family braved obstacles to rescue those that they could. While we commend brave Law Enforcement and FireFighters we must also express gratitude at the everyday people who reached out to help their neighbors.

These brave people make us proud of being in the family of man. It has been said forever that catastrophe can and does both bring out the worst in people and the best in people. At this time I want to chronicle those who through their compassion and courage represent the best in hard times.

Mario Saphet 56 of Biloxi Mississippi describes the moment that Katrina's wrath claimed his house.

He was trying to secure his door in an effort to hold back a wall of water. He described that what he saw could only be possible if his house were a raft on rapids of a river. His effort to hold back the water with the door was futile. A wall of water burst through the door and within moments he and his wife were wading in knee deep water. He could hear his neighbor screaming for help but he couldn't see her.

As he waded through the water he realized what he was seeing was her leg hanging and her hand was holding on to her chimney. As he maneuvered in the water for a better vantage point he saw the woman's son hanging from the roof ledge so he claimed up and got the boy. He grabbed a passing 2x4 and used it as a foot stop so his neighbor could slide down enough for him to grab her and pull her safely down.

Mr. Saphet then rescued his 92 year old neighbor and her three children, all of them senior citizens. As he describes the ordeal he dismisses anyone addressing him as a hero and says " I don't know that these people were at the end of their ropes but it seemed they could use a little help at the time. Besides I figure I owed them a bunch of favors because they are all great neighbors. Really great neighbors."

Well Mr. Saphet, seems to me you are also a pretty great neighbor and I am sure your neighbors would agree.