Yesterday’s high winds in Cary took us all by surprise. We were at a block party on the other side of town when the storm rolled in. One minute we were laughing, the next we were soaked through, scrambling to hold down our Saintly Cinnamon Rolls tent and collapse it so it didn’t fly into the street. (That “soaked clothes” story is definitely one for another time that includes getting pelted with pingpong ball sized hail… cross that off the experience list…)
When the storm lightened, we packed up and headed home. The closer we got, the worse things looked; trees uprooted, branches littering the streets, power lines down, neighbors in yards already beginning cleanup. By the time we pulled into our driveway, the power was out, and it stayed that way until late this morning.
We were fortunate. No damage to our home, just a shattered patio table and a short stretch without lights, fans, or the usual hum of appliances. We made an adventure out of it and all slept in the basement, eating a pizza picked up at our local pizza place and drinking bottles of water by the lights of our kids’ battery powered shark and unicorn lights. The other silver lining was clear: seeing our neighborhood rally. People checked on each other. Chainsaws came out. Driveways were cleared. Hugs and water bottles were shared. In moments like these, you realize just how solid the people around you really are in a world that at times seems to get less and less personable.
Storms remind us how quickly life can shift. But they also remind us that community is one of the strongest shelters we can have.
Ethan Avina 