Dorian obliterated the Bahamas. Category 5. 190 mile per hour winds. And it sat over them, moving at one mile per hour, for 48 hours, battering them over and over again.
Our hearts broke for them, and then we waited. We heard a rain band come through, and then thought, Here it comes... Then, nothing. Then some fairly strong wind gusts, then nothing. And most of the time, there has been nothing.
I had read an article in the local paper the other day that mentioned how our county hasn't experienced hurricane force sustained winds since Hurricane David of 1979. Sure, we've had some run-ins with destructive hurricanes, storms that have done a lot of damage. But by the time those storms reached us, the winds weren't even within hurricane range. Sobering, for sure.
I don't know why the Bahamas had to suffer, and we were spared. I can't even speculate. Really, we were much better equipped to handle such a storm. We never even lost power here. Regardless of the reason, we (as in, mankind) will reach out and help, because that's what we do. It's what we do for our brothers and sisters who are hurting. And organizations are already reaching out, and that warms my heart.
By Monday we watched in agony as the storm continued to sit motionless over the Bahamas. But we figured we were in for some intense weather within the next couple of days, so I made chocolate chip cookies. A double batch. It's a tradition I began the last time a hurricane threatened us. If the storm shutters have to go up, then cookies I will bake!
Yesterday, I took a walk in the morning with Kevin and Sami. I was tired of being stuck indoors, and the wind had just barely started to pick up. As we walked, I noticed the lack of cars on the road, and I commented, "Hey, it might be a good day for Allie to practice driving, since the roads are empty!" So Kevin took her out to drive when we got home.
Later that afternoon, Kevin spotted the kites in the garage. "Hey, Eve! Let's go fly a kite!" I wanted to go out and watch, but I had a stomach ache and couldn't get up off the couch, so I sent Allie out with the camera. Kevin told me later that Eve was nervous about letting the kite go too high, but from the pictures I could tell she was absolutely giddy.
We all know the saying, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." I believe this. I really do. But, admittedly, for us, making the lemonade was a piece of cake. We didn't have to work hard to find the "sugar" to make our "hurric-ade" somewhat enjoyable. But for our Bahamian neighbors, a lot of that "sugar" got washed out with the storm surge.
Although, I saw one video that brought me hope. The video showed the destruction of an apartment complex. While the walls were still intact, the roof had been blown off, likely from the windows having blown in first. Every inch of the floor was covered in dirt and soggy insulation. But as the woman holding the camera rounded a corner, there was a father holding his newborn child. He smiled at the baby, swaying back-and-forth as the the little one cooed back at him.
He had his beautiful "lemonade."
I think, more than anything, making the most out of a rotten situation means looking for hope, wherever you can find it. And for this father, it was in his child's face, amidst the chaos.
So as I make our "hurricane cookies," or as Eve flies her kite in the face of the storm, what we're really saying is, "Hey, it's going to be ok."
We will make it through, we will rise above.
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