We live on a street that borders on water along the coast. We consistently evacuate during potential disasters. It's what we're comfortable with. We trade personal safety for the risk of losing all of our stuff. We're good with that. After all, if it floods or a tree falls on the house during the storm, what are we going to do about it?
During last year's Hurricane Matthew, we lost fourteen trees, none of which hit our house. It felt like a miracle. No, it still feels like a miracle.
During this year's Hurricane Irma, we had almost no damage. Again, it feels like a miracle. For us.
Unfortunately, some of our family did not fare as well. My in-laws (mother, father, brother, sister, and our niece) live on a tidal creek that overflowed its banks and left water in both of their houses. Also, a tree fell on one of their houses. When it did, my sister-in-law fell of the sofa onto the tile floor and broke her elbow. She's now in a cast from her fingers to her almost her shoulder. She's right-handed, and it's her right arm. She, my brother-in-law, and our niece -- whose sixth birthday was Wednesday -- spent two nights with us here. We celebrated with a purple buttercream vanilla birthday cake with pink roses. I count that as a win.
Big C is looking into RV's for our next hurricane evacuation. This year our "safe spot" was in Irma's path. Even though it was only a tropical storm by that point, our friends lost multiple trees. Part of one hit the house on its' way down and scared us all to death. Another landed on power lines which left us without electricity for forty-eight hours.
I've found silver lining after silver lining through all of this as it affected me, but having family as victims of flooding? Even though they have a "glass half full" attitude, I'm hurting for them.
You know what? This world needs as many "Happily Ever After" story endings as it can get. That's something I can offer. I guess I'd better get writing.
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