As a person who has gone to sleep watching television forever because I hate silence and am especially fearful of darkness, I was not in the best frame of mind with Hurricane Milton taking out my electricity before the storm even started and didn't come back on for three or four days later. I have honestly lost track of time or even what day it is.
It had only been a few days since I had to put my precious fur baby Kiki to sleep, so I was a big mess already. A week or so before, Kiki and I went through Hurricane Helene alone with her on my lap on the couch . . . having her with me was a comfort and I felt better. I went through the latest hurricane sitting alone on the couch without the emotional comfort of my precious girl. I miss her so much.
The dark silence of those days haunted me, making the feelings of grief and the hole in my heart from losing Kiki and The Captain even more intense, making me lonelier than I have ever felt in my life. But I remained as calm as I could possibly be and made it through a very stressful time. Honestly, I did have a few times of freaking out. I'm not a brave person, but have become stronger as I get older and experience more life.
The storm was brutal. News reports state that Tampa received winds of up to 100 mph. They were not all gusts . . . at times the winds were sustained for what seemed like forever. I thought the roof was going to fly off my house, but it didn't. God was there to protect me. The only damage was a knocked over mailbox. Surprising and grateful!
Going through the process of hearing the news that Kiki was sick and ultimately having her put to sleep was one of the worse times I have ever experienced in my life. She was my baby and constant companion for 12 years, but she had an awesome life with so much love after the Captain and I rescued her from the shelter. They found her roaming the streets, lost and alone. That is another story.
I guess God doesn't think I need peace yet. He has more for me to learn.
