No one in the quiet towns nestled between the White River and the Green Mountain foothills will soon forget the surging waters that devoured roads, snapped trees like match sticks, and tossed cars and trucks like bathtub toys. But something positive has risen in the wake of the destruction wrought by Tropical Storm Irene. Strangers have become friends. Friends have become family. People who lost everything have helped others who lost everything. And families who four months ago could not imagine Christmas anywhere but the hearths where they had gathered for generations helped each other prepare for makeshift celebrations in temporary quarters.