Friday Feeling– Storms inside & out

Parts of the US are expecting a hurricane today. I was one of them until yesterday. I don’t live on the coast, but less than fifty miles from it. Massive flooding from the rivers which surround us was a foregone conclusion. More than that, the winds would still be very strong by the time they hit my house. Faced with the idea of losing power for many days and having to seek shelter in a local school with my special needs kids, I decided to leave the area for higher ground.

It was my first hurricane and I think I over anticipated that it’s trajectory wouldn’t change. I wanted to beat the last minute evacuee traffic and so I left Wednesday afternoon and drove to the mountains of Virginia where I grew up. By the time I got there, reports came in that it’s expected path had shifted and Florence would stay mostly in the Carolinas. In fact, this area might receive more rainfall and wind than my home closer to the coast.

This trip has felt a bit like a fool’s errand. My son came down with an ear infection. My daughter is acting poorly. My fall allergies have kicked in. I’m massively behind on all work. I sleep awful in hotels. I have joked that next time, even if they’re calling for the hurricane to land right on top of my house, I’m staying put. I don’t know about you, but if I don’t have adequate rest I just feel like I’m going to die. It even affects how I can handle emotional stress.

I’m currently feeling like there’s not much to anticipate about my Friday. By the time this posts, I will probably be on the road home. My husband manages a 24 hour truck stop and so many of his employees have already left the area that he might be working 20 hours or more tomorrow. So it’s not like I will have a nice break when I get home–although the kids will hopefully cooperate a bit better in our home than where everything is new and not enough to entertain.

However, I’m fortunate. So many will be without power and probably even without homes. This hurricane has changed course and so it means people who will be affected have had less time to prepare. For me, this Friday will be nothing worth feeling special about. For them, this Friday could be the end of a chapter that marks the loss of stability in their life.

I’m sure you join me in prayers and good thoughts for all who will be affected by this hurricane and the other storms to come this season. No matter where you are or what day it is, I hope you find rest. It’s essential for living and for coping with this life.