What happens to the soul when your home is suddenly gone? Wiped off the earth? What does the heart reach for when it’s not just your home, but your whole neighborhood and even much of your city that’s gone, unrecognizable? Your whole way of life has been demolished? Add to that the agony of loved ones lost, missing or dead; pets left behind to fend for themselves in a city that’s become a toxic wasteland … how does the heart survive?

So many people could answer those questions, you’d be there for years listening to their stories, heartache and understandable rage. Hurricane Katrina and the flood that followed destroyed homes, lives. But there was a more tragic wound waiting in the wings—abandonment. A government that is supposed to be of the people, by the people and for the people simply didn’t care about thousands and thousands of mostly poor, mostly black people.

In the aftermath of Katrina, I visited The Dream Center in Los Angeles, a Christian-based organization that takes in, houses and educates those in need. Following the storm, with the help of a benefactor who donated a private plane, they flew back and forth between New Orleans and L.A., airlifting entire families and providing them with clothes, shelter and hope.

I will remember their eyes forever. The shock, the stunned look of grief that was waiting to be unloosed, was evident. But so was the gratitude that someone had come for them, someone had cared. I wondered then and I wonder still if I could find that in my own heart after so much tragedy, so much betrayal.

Let us please not forget the government’s absurd declarations that they were moving as fast as they could—when journalists, private rescue organizations and even a few celebrities had absolutely no problem getting into New Orleans. If we do forget—and there are those who cruelly say, “Enough, let’s just move on”—then we have little hope of realizing our aspirations to be an eternally compassionate nation.

School children should be taught the hard truths of what went on a year ago in New Orleans. They should know that even a country that was founded on honor and respect can become arrogant and callous. No one should ever forget the horrible images of last summer—people literally left to die while their president did a “flyover” in Air Force One.

We grow as a nation when we remember who we are supposed to be as human beings. We’re meant to help each other, we’re meant to reach through chaos with the balm of compassion. And we’re meant to look with clear eyes at the times we have fallen short and abandoned those in need so we never repeat those tragic missteps. Most importantly, we’re meant to learn from those people who manage to find gratitude in their hearts even after being left to die.

We need to remember that even though a heartless administration is in power, the hearts of Americans are bigger and more persistent. We saw that in the aftermath of Katrina. The government just couldn’t seem to get to New Orleans, but ordinary citizens had no problem rushing in to help.