We are not exempt from certain rules in life. We must do our homework, eat our vegetables, get a job, pay our mortgage, etc.
We can't vote never to get into a car accident or break our leg. These are accidents. Random chance exists in the world, I believe, even if certain events might happen for a reason.
I am a little bit terrified of bad storms. Ask Eric. Ask my former therapists. Shortly after moving to Atlanta, I was faced with the unpleasant discovery that sometimes we get tornadoes. Yikes! Say whhaaatttt??? Thus, a cyclone of weather-anxiety was born.
This past Wednesday, we were threatened with the worst tornadoes ever to visit the Southeast. Wizard of Oz tornadoes, ones that shouldn't exist in the sleepy, slow south. Again..whhhaaattt? Sheer horror is how I would describe my reaction to watching news coverage of the destruction in Alabama. We won't even discuss the size of the tornadoes they showed either. Footage one who is anticipating such storms heading in her general direction should not be allowed to witness.
In short, Atlanta was spared any real storm damage, unlike so many of our northern, western, and southern neighbors. A sense of guilty relief washed over me in the wee early hours of Thursday morning, when this reality was made clear. Heavy black clouds ceased circling round my head.
How does one cope with such unpredictable tragedy? Well...last night, I was reminded by a silly film with a surprising message: embrace the chaos. No one can pretend that tornadoes don't exist, that planes don't crash, or that relationships don't shatter. Life is a thrill. But the ride can be turbulent.
I have a long road ahead of me to be fully Ok with this knowledge. Embracing my own chaos is perhaps where it starts.
No comments:
Post a Comment