Inevitably, my attempts to be consistent have been thwarted. Hurricane Florence ripped (very, very slowly) through our town and disrupted our state of normalcy. She brought destruction and helplessness with her and we are still riding down this muddy, bumpy dirt road looking for some pavement.

I don’t know about what you have seen, but in times of trauma and crisis, there is sometimes a light that shines on elements of humanity that many times stay in the shadows. I was and continue to be witness to so many acts of kindness, selflessness, and altruism. It has been amazing to experience the sense of community and what we as a people are accomplishing together. It is unfortunate that it has taken devastation and suffering to unhinge from our daily interactions and step into a more connectedness among neighbors. I completely include myself in this observation.

I learned how to ask for and accept help without the feeling of indebtedness. I experienced more interaction with others on a daily basis, simply because staying indoors with no power meant sweating through every ounce of clothing. I felt community in a way that I never would had crisis and trauma not kicked in the door at my house. And finally, I witnessed teenagers playing boardgames for hours on end. Yes, boardgames.

I guess the point of all of this for me is that, I think we sometimes miss community. I don’t want to ramble on about the Why’s. I would rather just try to remember that the light from devastation allowed me to see into the shadows. I got to see the connectedness that we have, as a community. And illuminating that helps ease some of the pain of destruction.