One of the largest natural disasters to ever hit our state couldn’t shake him.

Political opponents took shots at him throughout his tenure in Jackson, but the punches never caused him to waiver from the principles that he touted, principles which would get Haley Barbour re-elected if term limits didn’t exist.

Barbour already had an impressive resume before he raised his hand and took the oath of office 10 years ago. Serving the national Republican Party for many years, including a stint as the Republican National Committee chair in the 1990s, Barbour was a familiar face in the national political scene.

But for tens of thousands of Mississippians, Barbour will be remembered best not for national political posturing or wrangling with the Legislature.

He’ll be best remembered as the impressive leader who acted with calm precision and compassion in the face of crisis.

When Hurricane Katrina slammed South Mississippi to the ground in 2005, pulverizing property and claiming precious lives, Haley stood tall.

His comforting words helped the hurting realize Mississippi would pick up the pieces and survive.

In Haley-speak, doing so required us all to “hike up our britches.” He was right and he knew how to say it in a fatherly way.

Beyond helping Mississippians begin to heal, he also took advantage of the national spotlight to highlight how Mississippians were helping one another and how we were different.

In a little more than a week, an era in Mississippi politics will end when Barbour leaves the governor’s mansion.

We’ll miss you, Haley. Thanks for all that you did for Mississippi.