This past week has been difficult. There are no words strong enough or descriptive enough for the total destruction left in the wake of the tornadoes that hit Alabama. I've lived with the threat of tornadoes most of my life. I've even lived through close calls before. I've seen the pictures and watched the despair on TV. It doesn't come close to seeing it in person. To knowing the spray paint on the outside of a house tells whether the family inside lived or died. I hope I never have to experience this again, although I know that's probably not realistic if I stay in Tornado Alley (and I have no plans to leave).There is a silver lining to all of this though. I've watched as neighbors helped neighbors and strangers helped strangers. I spent 3 1/2 days without power, Internet, cable and very spotty cell service. And I realized that I could survive without those things.
I spent those days sharing a home with my parents, my husband, girls and youngest brother. My sister, brother-in-law and nephews also spent quite a bit of time with us. We played games. We laughed. We sat quietly and shared the newspaper. We listened to the battery powered radio - our only connection to the outside world. We spent more time together in those days than we probably have in the last several years.
I don't wish the kind of tragedy that struck last week on anyone, but I think it's important to find the good that can come out of those kinds of experiences.
Do you have a favorite silver lining? Have you ever made lemonade out of lemons?
Instigator
5 comments:
My thoughts and prayers are with you all. But it so good know that in times of need strangers pull together. Caroline x
We played a lot of board games, which we all love, but rarely have time to do these days. Lots of quality family time -- very nice.
That said, I was quite happy to hustle them out the door to school and work yesterday!
Word verif: rally
We do indeed rally to the cause!
My parents are still in Huntsville, and one sibling in Madison. I have been blessed that not one family member had anything other than property damage. My mother and stepfather commented that the day after the storm, neighbors that they had never met arrived on their doorstep to aid in getting the trees off of the house that had fallen during the storm. Now, my parents dont live in the safest neighborhood, but have been blessed with a bounty of good samaritans.
Blessings all. I only had power out for 1 day and I was at work the majority of that.
I learned to enjoy the quiet (except for the big generator running behind Home Depot, but that generator helped keep folks supplied with necessities). I read a couple books on my Kindle at night and reacquainted myself with the radio.
I cooked out almost every evening and shared with several of my elderly neighbors. After I made hobo meals (ground beef patty with sliced onions and potatoes wrapped in heavy duty foil and baked in the hot coals), they thought I was just the cleverest thing. This was something I remembered from my son's Boy Scout days. These ladies said we really should cook out more this summer because it's fun to linger over dinner at the picnic table under the shade tree. And I still have a bag and a half of charcoal, so why not?
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