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Priscilla had only been working part-time at the Brighton Collectibles in Huntsville, Alabama, for two years, yet the company rallied around her financially and emotionally. The owner, Jerry Kohl, not only provided emergency funds, but he empowered his local team to support the Boyles with gifts and a "storm survival" party. Jeff and Priscilla were speechless at the friendship and generosity. "Jerry Kohl is an amazing soul," says Priscilla. "I can’t even think of the words to describe it."
Two months after the storm, someone found a composite of photos of Sam playing baseball and made the effort to return it to him. It had been sitting on the Boyles' dining room table, but the tornado blew it into a field ten miles away.
Sam lit up when he saw the pictures, a testimony to his happy nature and amazing resilience. He has been an inspiration his entire life. After Jake was born four years after they were married, the Boyles didn't think they could have any more children. When Sam arrived 14 years later, they considered it a miracle and a blessing. For months after the tornado, he was so traumatized that he couldn’t be alone and panicked each time it rained. Yet he was always quick to smile and started school successfully this fall.
The Boyles had lived in their Camden Court dream house for eight years. It was the first house they designed and built together, a place where they planned to live for the rest of their lives. It was so traumatic to see it in ruins, they decided not to rebuild there. They recently sold the lot and plan to start fresh in a smaller space.
The Boyles open their cards and gifts.
Their new house will include a few antiques they salvaged from the ruins, pieces that were passed down from their grandparents. These items include an oak trunk, a peddle sewing machine, a mahogany armoire, an oak/pewter music box and handmade quilts. Though broken and/or water damaged, they remind Priscilla of the enduring strength of faith and family.
"Everything can be gone in just seconds, but family is forever," she says. "My husband and I are best friends, and as a family we share a bond that cannot be broken."
The tornado was also a wake-up call for Priscilla to live her life as she truly desires. She had always been a giving, caring person, but got into what she describes as "an everyday rut" and lost some of that focus. Life became routine, a hectic to-do list to be checked off so she could sit down and rest.
These days, she doesn't want to rest. She looks forward to everything she has the opportunity to do. And the more she can help people, the truer she feels to herself. For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, she helped a friend participate in a three-day, 60-mile walk for Komen For The Cure in Atlanta. She took part in Sam's class project to fight world hunger. For the local PTO's fall festival, she volunteered to help raise money for teacher supplies. No doubt when their friends rebuild their homes, the Boyles will be there to help them settle in.
Out of the disaster, she sees a second chance to give her life new love and direction. "I could have used it as my crutch for the rest of my life," she says, "but by the grace of God I'm able to be here for my family. I just want to share goodness." 
...And understanding it backward. After a family tragedy, Kelly Wickens finds a new and inspirational path.
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Etiquette expert Paula Lawrence inspires confidence at Dress For Success Southern Nevada.
Margaret Batterton creates cherished quilts for loved ones, as they lay them down to sleep.
Stephanie Pearson spreads the holiday spirit with Random Acts of Christmas Kindness.
