state of grace

Hurricane Sandy is making her way up the East Coast towards Washington but I’ve already experienced her Hollywood, FL style! As I sit on my couch thinking back to last week, I remember the anxiety I began to feel as reports about the storm and her path continued to roll in. Not wanting to be stuck in the airport unable to get home, I called the airlines on Wednesday to rebook my Saturday ticket. The fee was ridiculous so I got all of the information about making changes the day before and of my flight and put a note to my calendar with every intention of getting on the 7:45AM flight instead of the one at 3:45PM as the hotel battened down the hatches!

Each day I was away, I opened the sliding door to the balcony to listen to the ocean. It was roaring that late Wednesday afternoon, the gray sky above flecked with blue as the sun played in the clouds; it was the calm before the real deal came down. As I sat on the bed working, I noticed a hint of rainbow dancing in the distance and kept jumping up to get a good picture to no avail. Finally, I stopped running between the bed and the balcony and settled back to checking emails until a little voice said look up…

I’d never seen a full rainbow before and this one was beyond magnificent in size and color as it stretched up and across to completely fill the sky over the water. One side was set against fiery coral clouds, the other over a clear blue that cannot be found in any crayon box. As I stood on the balcony tingling with excitement and awe, the girl in me delightfully clapped her hands and giggled, the woman in me was humbled by the glorious view, falling into quiet, feeling thankful to witness such a wonder. The rainbow lasted for several minutes before it slowly disappeared changing me somehow. That evening as I submerged in the deep waters of a candlelight bath listening to the blowing winds, a little voice said, just let it be. And so I did.

I was determined to take pictures as often as possible despite the weather and found myself outside the next day balancing myself in various places and positions as the wind and pelts of rain whipped my body. Once again, I felt a change come over me. When I walked back through the doors of the hotel, my hair had taken a beating but I was calm. I realized that the storm was coming no matter what I did, that up until a few minutes before, I had never really felt the power of a hurricane. I took the time to fully take in the tingling exhilaration coursing through my body, liked how strong it still is no matter what ails it.

 

The next evening after the rains of the storm passed, the sun came out and out on the beach was I to hear, see, smell, taste and feel the warm waters as the ferocious waves hit the sands washing my feet, calves and hips. Once again, my body stood her ground though I did sink into the sand every so often loving every minute of it.

My biggest reward for keeping my Saturday travel in tact -- being able to take a cup of green tea along with my camera out to the beach to watch the sunrise…

The District and surrounding states are in a state of emergency, I am in a state of grace as I prepare to greet Sandy once again this time with a newfound appreciation for the power of a storm that empowered me. One never knows the moment and delivery of the message so it is wise to…

keep your peepers open!®