My daughters are sleeping safe and sound while I checked on them again. I sat glued to my television as the hurricane ripped through the Gulf and began to make landfall in the early hours of the morning. I stood guard in the house as I struggled to stay awake, eyes growing heavy, my stomach tightening in knots. Suddenly, the wind began to beat against my windows, moaning eerily as it began to throw shingles off the roofs and causing the palm trees to bend more and more until, sadly, they could no longer fight the strong winds. I stared out my bedroom window in astonishment, suddenly aware for the first time of the fury of the storm, a storm that none of us expected, including meteorologists and other experts.

Daylight came and through my window I saw the destruction for the first time. I could see an apartment across the lot that had its railing blown off along with the exterior storage door off its hinges. There were huge trees leaning against the buildings, holding the residents captive in their houses. Finally the hammering began to stop, all the likes of wind except newspapers having finally taken hold. When I opened my front door, I saw many of my neighbors straggling around, surveying the damage, most with looks of disbelief at how much damage the hurricane had caused. We were without power or phone service, including cell phones that had also lost service. We were alone, but we were all in this together.

Later that afternoon, the sun began to shine and a cool wind began to blow. It was so surreal how suddenly we seemed to be experiencing a totally different season. How could it be so beautiful outside after the devastation and chaos that just moments ago made us fear for our own lives?

We knew how lucky we were not to have the discomfort of the usual hot and humid days, so it was much more tolerable to be without air conditioning and we appreciated the cool breeze coming through our open windows.

With nightfall came a great sense of helplessness. Candles flickered from window to window in each neighbor’s house. There must have been a million stars shining down from above, not a cloud in the sky. Across the way, my flashlight landed on a neighbor cooking on a gas grill. He asked if the kids and I were okay and then he kindly offered us the use of his grill, which I gladly accepted. I took each piece of meat and chicken out in my freezer defrosted and grilled for over 3 hours. I gave away whole chickens to several of my neighbors whom I had greeted many times but never learned their names before that night. This was the beginning of something very special. This was a blessing that came with pain. He put a smile on my face and showed me a beautiful side of true nature and compassion that manifests itself in people in times of trouble and adversity. A rare occasion to witness the selfless and caring side of our inner being. I looked up at the sky and smiled, wondering, was someone trying to tell us something?

Visit Jay at Jays Plan – Secrets of a Single Dad

Stop by Family Health with Mister Mom