Waiting and wondering seems to be the theme lately.
Depending upon where you live, you wait and wonder about different challenges.
In the northwest and far west, you wonder about wildfires. In Idaho and Mexico,
you wonder about earthquakes. In the Houston area, you wonder about rebuilding
and how you’ll recover from Hurricane Harvey. If you’re in the Caribbean or
Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama, you wonder what
Hurricane Irma will bring to you and/or those you love in its path. There are
other challenges globally that affect millions of people. Some of them are
natural disasters. Some of them are terrorist plans, or saber-rattling from
countries threatening war. Others are actually engaged in war, sometimes with
their own citizens.
No matter what the threat, we’re called upon to somehow, be
ready. That isn’t always so easy to figure out. Do you leave your home? If so,
where do you go? Are you facing something that your government will help you
navigate? Or is that part of the problem?
For me, Hurricane Irma has grabbed my focus as I think about
how to keep family members safe in Florida, especially my 94-year-old mother
who doesn’t intend to leave The Villages in central Florida. Luckily, my
brother and his son have gone down so that she won’t be alone. They are as
ready as they can be. My sister and her husband in Gainesville, and my niece
and her family (and their restaurant) in Gainesville have had to get as ready
as they can, not being sure what Irma will be like by the time she gets to
them.
My colleagues and I who have a conference planned in the
Atlanta area next week have to wait and wonder whether we can proceed or not. Irma
is predicted to head north through Georgia, but we don’t know whether that will
mean flooding, power outages, and/or closed roads. Actually, there have been
some predictions that Irma will head north to Tennessee and bring rain, wind,
and tornadoes to our area, or if it will be further west.
Not knowing is one of the hardest things about getting
ready. If you have a pretty good idea about what is likely to happen, it is
easier to prepare for it. When there are a lot of unknowns, and when the timing
isn’t clear, it makes it tough to prepare.
When you don’t have the answers, you can only guess, and do
what you can. For humans, anxiety tends to accompany the unknown. We worry
about what will happen to us. We worry about what will happen to our
communities. We worry about what will happen to those we care about.
I find that the best way to deal with that anxiety is to do
what you can to prepare. Plan for contingencies as best you can. Use your “what
if” problem-solving abilities to have multiple plans and resources. Reach out
to others who may not be as good at planning as you are. Remind them of what
sorts of things need to be done. Ask questions to make sure they are as ready
as they can be. Offer your assistance or a place to go if you can. If you have
the capability to help others, reach out. If you hear of resources that may be
helpful, pass them along.
I guess we all live in our own bubble, where the things
we’re facing are #1 on our list. Others may have their own catastrophes or
difficult situations to deal with. Those are things we may know nothing about.
They may be trying to rebuild from the last catastrophe. They may be burying a
loved one. They may be fighting a terrible disease. They may have just lost
their job, or no longer have a place to live. Their only transportation may
have broken down for good.
Whatever challenges you face, please be aware that there are
others that are facing something different. No one has the corner of the market
on the biggest disaster. We each have our individual perceptions and
perspectives of what we face and how ready we are to cope with whatever hits
us.
There’s a lot of pain around us these days. Whether you’re
actively experiencing it or not, please be aware that there are those who are
stretched beyond their limit. Give them a hand when you can. Help them in the
ways that they were there to help you and yours when you were faced with pain
and challenges.
We survive bad situations best when we help each other. If
you are experiencing bad times, reach out for help. If things are okay for you,
reach out your hand to help others. If you need somebody to talk to about your
experience, I’m here to listen, and if possible, to help you connect with the
resources you need. You can contact me through email at Linda@InnerResourceCenter.com
or call me at 865-983-7544.
Good luck waiting and wondering!
P.S. This was written over the weekend,
and today the
remnants of Irma are supposed to begin to hit us with high tropical storm winds
and heavy rain. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has closed roads and
campsites in preparation. And, in order to be timely, and make sure this gets
sent, I’m sending it on Monday this week, instead of Tuesday. Be well, whatever
you are dealing with.
Warmest wishes,
Linda
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