Today marks anniversary of tragedies

Here we go again. For some reason this time of year is when Mother Nature and the forces of the universe seem to have a hissy fit. Perhaps they don’t want summer to end?

The 9/11 date is forever burned into our collective memory as the day when the Twin Towers collapsed along with our sense of security. It was also the day when my daughter was in the hospital having surgery on her shoulder and when my mom was beginning her breast cancer journey.

Ironically, it was also on September 11 years later when I began my own breast cancer trek. My daughter and I are fine and Mom no longer has to worry about cancer or any other illness in the afterlife.

Last week I was concerned about the lasting danger from Hurricane Harvey. Too many of my loved ones were too close to the damage it caused. Thankfully, they are all unscathed, although many of their friends are still dealing with the aftermath.

We have barely caught our breath and now we are inundated with images of yet another hurricane bearing down on our country. I have a couple of distant relatives who live in the predicted path of the storm but we aren’t close enough to know if they decided to visit the more northern relatives or not.

The hurricanes seem to have eclipsed the wildfires out west and the other disasters such as the earthquake in Mexico. Humanity’s determination to self-destruct and the various personal dilemmas common to everyday life are overshadowed by the larger (and more photogenic) threats to greater numbers of people.

I can’t help but think about the tiny newscaster who was struggling to stand still in the wind while dodging a street sign that came within feet of bonking her on the head when it blew over. What is the matter with us that we demand to see for ourselves the power of nature when it involves putting people in danger?

Any time Mother Nature goes on a rampage there will be death and destruction. There will be those who seize the opportunity to commit crimes. However, there will be far, far more people who pitch in to help any way they can. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of people determined to help those affected. Truckloads of supplies are being gathered for those who have lost everything. Prayers are being sent up, asking for protection for loved ones.

People are a resilient bunch. Homes and lives will be rebuilt. Many will be stronger than ever. Some won’t. Life will go on, there is simply no other choice.

I look out my window and see a brilliant blue sky. The breeze is softly blowing. Crunchy leaves are already dotting the lawn. The vines are heavy with tomatoes and have toppled their cages. The smell of fall is light and unmistakable. Life is good in my little world.

I think this is what sustains us in times of disaster. One of the few things we can depend on is that the sun will always come up. There is always a tomorrow and it will be different from today. It may be better or it may be worse, but it will be different.