It’s a bit before 6 a.m. as I write this, and the winds are picking up outside. An historic storm is coming up the coast, and the weather reports are pretty grim. If you’re prone to anxiety attacks, this is going to be a hard one to say the least.
But watch for the good to be found within the storm, because it will be there.
Mood music:
[spotify:track:6hiyS8fDC1whoyydVhfoBg]
I’ve written much about the basket case I used to become in the face of these storms. Rather than repeat it here, I’ll just direct you to the posts “For Parents With Kids Freaked About Frankenstorm” and “Fear, Anxiety and Storms: From Blizzard of ’78 to Frankenstorm.” For a slightly more humorous take on how I used to get in these storms, check out “Fear and Duct Tape.”
For the rest of this post, let’s focus on the brighter side of this storm. Yes, there is a brighter side:
–If you’re like me, you get to spend extra time with your family. The kids are home for the day and my office is closed, though I’ll try to get some work done before the power quits.
–If the power goes out (we’re assuming it will), there’s still plenty to do. There are board games to play with the kids. I’ll no doubt give my acoustic guitar a vigorous workout.
–People are often at their best in times like these, helping those who are in trouble and without food or shelter. I’ll never forget the family that let us and two other families stay with them for a week in the aftermath of the Blizzard of 1978, when my neighborhood was under several feet of ocean. I’ll also always remember how the White family took us in when a 2010 storm gave us an extended power outage. We always hear about the bad stuff in the news, but acts of kindness and generosity happen every day — especially during emergencies like this.
–In my current job I can stay home during a storm like this and I’m grateful for that. But I used to be a newspaper man, and when storms raged, I was required to be at work. This has me thinking of my old colleagues at The Eagle-Tribune. We should all be grateful for those who will risk their skin today to get out there and report what’s happening outside so everyone else can take precautions and be safe.
–They say this storm will be worse than anything we’ve seen in decades, and that can be cause for alarm. But remember that the media say that about at least two storms a year, and you’re still here. Don’t take this one lightly, but try to keep that wider perspective.
This day will be difficult. But like all difficult things, it too shall pass.
