Stormy Weather & Winds of Change

Over the past few days, the South has experienced devastating tornadoes that resulted in hundreds of casualties, more than a thousand injuries, and untold property damage. I think the vast majority of the storm damage was in Alabama, but some of the catastrophe was felt in the north part of Georgia. Here on the island, we had some weather that looked very ugly, but blew through quickly, and really had more bark than bite. Declan and I were talking about the tornadoes on the way to school one morning, and he said he wished we would have one. I was horrified, "Why would you want us to have a tornado here," I asked. "Don't you remember all of that damage from the one that happened on Mother's Day? That would be terrible." He told me that he just thought it would be really cool to see a tornado.

That got me to thinking about how people choose to chase tornadoes or take cover and stay safe. And the more I thought about that, I started seeing a tornado as an analogy for those unforeseen events or forces that sometimes blow into your life, turning everything upside down and wreaking havoc. The energy of the storm is exciting and invigorating. The waves churn and the tide crashes against the rocks. When it passes, the calm can be unnerving. An absence of that surging power. Even if you've been spared from major damage, you may still feel like a sailboat adrift--perhaps blown off course and now lacking the wind to fill your sails. Winds of change can be good, but too much and we risk the damage of a storm. I guess all we can really hope is that we have a solid foundation and sturdy enough construction to embrace the tempest, enjoy the excitement of the ride through it, and come through unscathed.

God, how I love a good storm!