98 dead, 4.6 million without power, but the total loss and devastation can never be measured. 

ms. sandy you were ugly and barbaric, and you left a painful mess. 

these images of lives ransacked and throttled guts me sternum to stem.

none of us are immune.

earthquakes, tsunamis, and storms are just as likely to devastate where i live, so the randomness of sandy feels close to home, and my whole body hurts for my fellow brothers and sisters suffering in the wake of this storm.

there is no rhyme or reason when something like this happens, but i still look for answers during these types of events. i search my mind and soul for a way to be better, a way to contribute not just by writing a check, but by growing my heart bigger, and my ego smaller in hopes that i can make a difference energetically—yes i believe in this stuff. 

the vitriol of the last few months, attacking each other politically and socially is nothing like the brutal force of what nature does when she wants to make a point. i almost feel like she’s trying to tell us something. we are all connected, the negative energies we create and perpetuate in our daily lives, emit and infuse into the universe, affects not just our own spirit, but the spirit of our loved ones, our neighbors, the trees in our yard, the birds in those trees, the skies where the birds fly freely, you understand where i’m going. 

our toxic ways can create a spiral sequence of acrimony, sadness, and fear.

all of that rancor eddys itself up into a whirling dervish of hurt which eventually explodes.

bam!

mass wreckage.

now i’m not saying the presidential election and the current taste for gossip and dish caused hurricane sandy, but i think of it like this: we live in this giant communal stew, where we each are adding our own unique ingredients. if you put resentment, malice, or judgement into the pot, be prepared to swallow that same bite with the rest of us. those flammable, combustible ingredients, which no one wants to eat, banging around against each other will eventually explode open into a cauldron fire. 

 disaster.

but unlike a house or building, roads and lampposts, we humans aren’t reduced to rubble.

there’s that delicious ingredient called the human spirit that lies within all of us, which in times like these rises to the occasion, and grows redwood, strong limbs, unfathomable courage, endurance, and resilience.

the images are not to be believed.

many of them revealing nature’s boss power, exerting how really infirm we are to her fury.

most of the images ravage the heart; wrenching me out whatever silly funk i may be in, yanking me back, front and center by my hair, into the marrow of what really matters in life: family, friends, health. 

but even with all of the sadness, i’ve watched the news mostly with tears of pride and hope. proud to be on this planet with such warriors, and hopeful that this continued kindness and compassionate neighborliness continues.

i’ve always noticed, the more brutal the skies and rain, the more exquisite the post-storm rainbow. 

all my love, 

katie

if you would like to donate to those affected by sandy, here are three verified charities: the red cross, the humane society, the aspca, and the salvation army.