Showing posts with label natural disasters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label natural disasters. Show all posts

Sunday, October 29, 2017

Approach to gratefulness








Our approach to gratefulness has to be big enough to embrace all the difficulties of the world.
Br. David Steindl-Rast







Natural disasters bring all types of damage.  It seems like the severity of damage is a roll of the dice.  Degrees of sacrifice range from modest to extreme.
In the scope of Hurricane Irma hitting the Florida Keys with Category 5 force that left extreme devastation as far as the eye can see, I am so grateful for what seems like such minor damage we received from Category 1 force winds, even though after almost two months, we still can't live in our house.

That is the approach to gratefulness we have chosen in the situation we find ourselves in.

While I am angry that a huge tree limb covers the back side of our roof, making it impossible to assess the complete damage after all this time, I am grateful that there is a chance FEMA will help us rebuild, even though they turned us down the first time, prolonging the process, the agony and worsening the damage to our home.  Our appeal is being processed and it could take up to 90 days before we know if we are receiving financial help or not.

We have no other choice than to exercise faith and patience.  The alternative is total insanity, which I teeter off the edge of.  It feels like time has stood still for us.

Nevertheless, our approach has been one of total gratefulness, which has made everything much more tolerable despite emotional living conditions thrown at us that are best explained as manic.  Enough said about that . . . it has been one of the most difficult times of my life!

With The Captain by my side, I have made it with my sanity intact thus far and for that I am so grateful!


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Sunday, October 15, 2017

Reflection of Life






"Reflection is one of the most underused yet powerful tools for success."
Richard Carlson







Since Hurricane Irma decided to pick on our house and drop a tree on it, being suddenly homeless without a home to go to has forced me to look back and reflect on my life.

Of course there are the obvious "why me" questions I usually ask God when things are not going right.  Almost immediately, my thoughts turned to the reason why.  I've always believed in fate and destiny, with everything happening for a reason.

Although The Captain goes home several times a week to meet with potential contractors, I have not returned to see the damage.  For now, it is better to not be confronted with the coldness of my home being so damaged we can't live there.

Better is finding something positive in this drastic life experience.  The most logical is to learn the lesson of patience, which I have none, but learning to deal with everything in a relatively calm manner.  Through the years, I have been trying to learn how to deal with those things in life that can't be controlled.  God just gave me a huge push to understand the importance of patience.

It could be that the "reason why" won't be revealed until it is supposed to come to light.  Perhaps my future focus on life will be entirely different than it is today due to this experience . . . the new purpose I had been praying for.

Be careful what you pray for!

What have I learned in this month away from home?  I didn't realize how much I love that house, even with the disorganization and chaos.  It has been there for me since JR and I moved in on Christmas Eve of 1984.  What a delightful Christmas present it was!  Such a happy house . . . I had forgotten those magical days of promising new beginnings and starting a new adventure.  It was my place to hide and find peace when JR died, holding so many happy memories of my past life, love, precious pets who touched my life so profoundly that have crossed Rainbow Bridge and the huge back yard garden that was once my sanctuary which has turned into an unruly forest.

The magic was gone and it turned into a roof over my head . . . ultimately, the leaky roof over my head.  Like so many other things in life, I took my sweet little house for granted.

The damage has not been fully assessed since there are areas that can't be reached until the tree is off the house.

I have no idea if any of this makes sense, even to me . . . but at least I am ready to confront the "reason why" this happened to us and none of our neighbors.  God has the plan and the reason why.



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Sunday, March 20, 2011

When our world falls apart





People are like stained glass windows: 
They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, 
but when the darkness sets in their true 
beauty is revealed only if there is a light within.

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross






Clinging to the Core
When Our World Falls Apart


When it feels as if your world is falling apart, 
know at your core that you are a strong being of light.



There are times when our whole world seems to be falling apart around us, and we are not sure what to hold onto anymore. Sometimes our relationships crumble and sometimes it’s our physical environment. At other times, we can’t put our finger on it, but we feel as if all the walls have fallen down around us and we are standing with nothing to lean on, exposed and vulnerable. These are the times in our lives when we are given an opportunity to see where we have established our sense of identity, safety, and well-being. And while it is perfectly natural and part of our process to locate our sense of self in externals, any time those external factors shift, we have an opportunity to rediscover and move closer to our core, which is the only truly safe place to call home.

The core of our being is not affected by the shifting winds of circumstance or subject to the cycles of change that govern physical reality. It is as steady and consistent as the sun, which is why the great mystics and mystical poets often reference the sun in their odes to the self. Like the sun, there are times when our core seems to be inaccessible to us, but this is just a misperception. We know that when the sun goes behind a cloud or sets for the night, it has not disappeared but is simply temporarily out of sight. In the same way, we can trust that our inner core is always shining brightly, even when we cannot quite see it.

We can cling to this core when things around us are falling apart, knowing that an inexhaustible light shines from within ourselves. Times of external darkness can be a great gift in that they provide an opportunity to remember this inner light that shines regardless of the circumstances of our lives. When our external lives begin to come back together, we are able to lean a bit more lightly on the structures we used to call home, knowing more clearly than ever that our true home is that bright sun shining in our core.


Source: Daily OM




"Step on onto the ledge with faith in your heart and you will see that hidden beneath your fear are a fresh pair of wings waiting for you to take flight!" 


- Mastin Kipp, founder of TDL




It doesn't matter who you are, what your status is in life, how much or how little money you may have . . . there will be times in everyone's life when it feels as our world is falling apart.

The news of the past few weeks have put me in a very anxious state . . . it is the helpless feeling when it comes to world affairs and natural disasters.

Perhaps there is a family matter that seems to be spiraling out of control . . . or maybe it is a health issue that doesn't want to go away no matter how much you would like to "wish it away" . . . it just is and it must be dealt with.

In these times, I personally find it difficult to keep the faith.  However, that faith is what keeps me together and gives me hope that everything will be as it is supposed to be.  I'm a strong believer in fate and destiny . . . so why do I fret over those things I have no control over?  Like world affairs . . .

Hope and faith work together to keep that inner light shining when surrounded by darkness.  It is in those times of darkness that being grateful for those little things that bring joy and happiness is so important.  Being grateful and aware of everything that is good and positive is the fuel that fires hope and faith.


It is so important to not fall 
apart when our world falls apart.

How do you cope with difficult times?





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Friday, March 11, 2011

The Domino Effect




You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you.

Sarah Ban Breathnach
Simple Abundance
We go through many changes in a lifetime.   The greatest change I made in my life is described in quote above, the life of simple abundance.  Being grateful for the moments in time that are joyful and peaceful . . . it is not a promise, they are gifts that should be cherished.  As humans, we don't always remember this and take so much for granted.  Today I am so grateful beyond words for so much.

The news is not good today.  Mother Nature is hitting the earth with a vengeance . . . the effects are far reaching.  It is the domino-effect, the devastating earthquake in Japan causing tsunami damage on the west coast of the United States and as I listen to the news, there is now flooding on the east coast of the United States.  The images are haunting and they have just begun to flow in . . . the breaking news is horrific.

What about the nuclear reactor problems in Japan?  
Very scary indeed!

The thought occurred to me that we are so small and helpless as humans when pitted against the ravages of nature.  Nature does not play favorites and we are all subject to nature's fury, no matter where we live.  Just thinking about the earth splitting apart in one part of the world and affecting another part of the world sends shivers up my spine.

In times like these, being grateful for everything good and bad in my life sweeps over me, along with sadness for the devastation being endured by so many.  The domino-effect will continue for these people, as those grateful to be alive begin to rebuild their lives.  Keep them in your prayers.


This post was originally published April 20, 2008

in one of my blogs that is now closed


I woke up in a very sad mood for many reasons and the sadness intensified as I watched the coverage of the Pope's visit with the 9/11 victim families at Ground Zero. It so touched me and I have been crying since, not able to stop.

On days like today, it is so much more important to be grateful for what we have been blessed with and not look at what we don't have. Lamenting does not bring people back to life or solve life's circumstances that make us sad.

I am so grateful for those weeds that need to be pulled that helps to let out aggression.


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