As I type this, I am warm and dry. We have electricity - having lost it only for ten hours. Not a single branch fell from the many trees around us. We are definitely blessed today.
But I am not celebrating our luck. As you likely have seen on the news - or followed through social media as it happened - the East Coast experienced a devastating storm. Our beloved beach in Ocean City, New Jersey - that town has experienced unprecedented damage. In Atlantic City, portions of the boardwalk are gone. In New York City, cars were floating down the streets. The most heartbreaking images, for me, were the nurses from NYU Medical Center. After the emergency generators failed and they had to evacuate the hospital, they were pictured sitting on stretchers holding NICU babies skin to skin... ventilating some manually... protecting those children like they were their own. I still can't talk about that without breaking down.
I get very emotional when things like this happen in the world. It fills me with anxiety for all of those out there suffering. I feel very helpless as I sit here in my warm home with my children with a refrigerator and freezer filled with food that didn't spoil and electricity so I can type this. I almost feel strangely guilty for feeling fortunate. And I worry for our world. If you weren't concerned about global warming before this freakish and unbelievable storm - I hope you are now!
I worried what would happen if we lost power - or, rather, WHEN we lost power. We rely on a microwave and a refrigerator for Gavin's pureed meals. This morning we were still without power - and before we opened our refrigerator we had to come up with a plan. We got the boys up from bed and brought them downstairs... and we were seconds away from making a reservation at a Homewood Suites (they have full kitchens) when the power went back on. Ours was a very small inconvenience. My heart goes out to all the parents out there with special needs children who are dependent on technological devices - ventilators, feeding pumps and more. I hope that they are able to get the help they need if they are without power. If you know someone like this - even if they are the neighbor you've never met - please reach out to them if you are able to help! The panic that goes through parents of kids with special needs or disabilities is hard to describe.
I hope all of you who read my journal are safe. If you suffered damages to your home or property, I am so sorry. And I hope that all of us can send our prayers and positivity to those who lost their lives... and those who will struggle to rebuild their lives after this storm. If you can, please check in here in the comment section or on my Facebook page letting all of us know you're okay. If you want to tell your story, you have a place here. And if there is help that you need - post it here and perhaps someone can help you!
My heart is so heavy today.
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