Last week felt “Normal”

Welcome to September! My personal favorite memes these days are the ones at the end of each month congratulating us for completing another level of Jumanji. As many of you know, last week was a bit of a stressor with Hurricane Laura making its way through the Gulf of Mexico. For those of you not familiar, the Gulf Coast Hurricane Season officially starts on June 1st and effectively ends November 1st. But for residents along the Gulf Coast, we all know that August and September are the months that pose the most risk.
By now the balmy Gulf Waters have warmed up sufficiently to feed even the most meager tropical depression with the necessary fuel to grow into a Hurricane. Fortunately for my family, we did not suffer any ill effects from the storm. Many along the Texas – Louisiana boarder were not so lucky. Lake Charles, Louisiana took a major brunt of the storm, the worst to hit the state in close to a Century. Please keep those impacted by Hurricane Laura in your prayers and if able, contribute to a local charity in the area to assist.
While last week was a stressor, there was something vaguely familiar and distracting about it. As a long-term resident of the Gulf Coast we have our Hurricane Routines fairly established. Going about the checklist in my head to prepare for the storm was a welcome distraction, as it had nothing to do with COVID, but everything to do with what mattered most, our safety. The news of politics and COVID were replaced with a steady diet of storm updates and landfall projections. In a morose way, it was a welcome change that felt more familiar and “normal” than the Twilight Zone we’ve been living in this year.
As I mulled what to write this week my initial title was “It’s 2020 and Hurricanes Don’t Care.” Which is absolutely true. Regardless of what is happening in our body politic, one Category 4 Hurricane is a sobering glass of ice water to the face. Neighbors, Family and Friends all pull together to ensure that everyone is as prepared as possible for the upcoming storm. For a moment in time, it’s as if things were just back to “normal.”
As we “hunkered down” for the storm I received many e-mails and well wishes through social media from friends outside the region; Thank You! Somewhat surprisingly, we woke up to a clear morning without nearly a drop of rain. But we know things could have easily gone the other way. Many of us still have the memories of the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey just 3 short years ago. But, just like the prep before the storm, I saw the best in humanity after as friends, neighbors and total strangers all came together to help each other.
Last week many of you commented on my “Looming Emotional Crisis” article. I appreciate the feedback and hope the article resonated with you. Writing this week’s Wednesday Words is more therapeutic than HR as it just seems like we need more normal in our lives to help us get through this year. My sense is that we will see little moments of “normal” in the coming months that will bring us hope and energize us along the way to a more recognizable routine and life. I do hope that everyone can enjoy a moment or two of the “good ole days” this month, at least more pleasant than a Hurricane. And if this hasn’t happened already, please enjoy the Official Song of the Month!