Remember when I said this? That I hoped that Hurricane Sandy was just a storm that was blown out of proportion? Well here's the good news: Our part of the city faired well. Awesome, actually. I only know of a handful of people in our area who lost power, and their electricity was restored pretty quickly.
Now, the rest of the northeast? Not so much.
I don't even have to link you to the devastation. It's on every news channel and it's trending on every feed out there in social media-land. It's going on as I write this; the reprocutions will linger for a very long time. Millions of people have been affected.
At times, when stuff like this happens to other people, I get very caught up. I don't know how to move on about my life. It's a balance to celebrate the everyday knowing that so many people around you are suffering. But at the risk of sounding morose, it is truly this thought which motivates me. I am always aware that there is someone out there who is making do with much less, or who carries a burden much more that what I have on my own shoulders.
For example, our family celebrated Halloween yesterday. It was fun, my children dressed up as zombies and I decorated and made cupcakes and all that jazz. We walked through our neighborhood and collected oodles of candy. But the entire time, I thought of my cousins who live in New Jersey (one is actually a writer, see him here). I want to help them out more than I physically can. I'd fit their entire clan into my tiny house in a nanosecond if they asked. I was consumed with the why's of this disaster.
Hubby and I spoke yesterday about coping, and how he is wired to find a solution and move on quickly. I, on the other hand, am the type that delves into my brain and seeks to find the spiritual meaning of things before I can hike up my boot straps. He complements me in this fashion, his realistic expectations keeps me grounded.
And what I realize time and time again is that I can only do so much. I can help my family, I can pray, and I can contribute to the effort if I cannot be there to help in person.
You can too.
- Donate money to the Red Cross.
- Open your home to someone who needs a place to shower, to cook, or do their laundry.
- Find northeast shelters to donate coats and warm clothing.
- You can even participate in auctions like this.
Sometimes the only way I can move on is to help anyone. And in this process I hope that the goodness or the karma or the movement of chi will head toward those places that need it the most.
So let's not forget the storm just because it's passed. Join me and contribute to the effort somehow. And for your help, here's a little something:
It's yummy, I promise. :)
