Life Lately

Last Friday morning, I woke up around 3 AM to some of the loudest winds I’ve ever heard.

Stephen stayed in bed while I walked to the sitting room to better see outside. The windows showed trees almost completely bent over from the winds. I have lived through so many hurricanes and nothing I had seen before was as dramatic as this.

Stephen woke up before me in the morning after I had gone back to sleep and when I got out of bed again he said, “It’s bad.”

Sure enough, when I walked to the back deck I saw trees strewn across the yard, on the roof of Stephen’s workshop, and laying on the fence.

The truth is it could have been so much worse. Countless homes were completely destroyed. People (including someone I know) died.

Even the comparatively small damages we did incur (our yard being trashed, no power, and no water) have wreaked a lot of havoc in our lives as we had to leave our home temporarily and will have to find a way to repair our shed and fences.

This is life: things happen outside our control that completely scupper all our plans.

How to proceed:

1. give thanks. Seriously, there’s always something to be grateful for. Family, friends, health…those things we take for granted often come to the forefront of our hearts and minds when catastrophe strikes. Gratitude is a precursor to happiness. A grateful heart will heal and find peace a lot more quickly, even in the midst of chaos, than a bitter and resentful one.
2. re-prioritize. Another blessing that comes from disasters is reminding us what actually matters in life. That new purse you want? Not really that important. Your relationship with your children? Invaluable. Take times of catastrophe to really consider what matters to you the most and how you can improve those areas of your life. How can you make more time for your close friends? How can you improve your relationship with your husband? What can you do to grow in your prayer life?
3. lean in to creature comforts. A cup of hot coffee in the morning, your favorite song/book/meal, a funny show… these things can help us tremendously when it feels like life is a hot mess. Embrace those small things that bring you joy and comfort so that everything doesn’t feel so heavy.

I’m heartbroken by the damage this natural disaster has caused. I’m frustrated about the huge setback in our hopes and plans for our home. I’m deeply saddened by the suffering around us. But when I stop to remember how much I have and look for the positive that is coming from this (people helping each other out, unexpected time with extended family, an upsurge in compassion and empathy), it helps me not get overwhelmed by the devastation that took place.

Life is good! Things happen but we have to always search for and hold onto those silver linings.

Inspo

I tend to be on the materialistic side of things, which makes people like Rachel Cruze especially important for me to have in my life. I’m not sure how she came across my IG feed (I guess even Meta thinks I shop online too much…) but I’ve been following her for a while now and love her practical tips on finances as well as her ‘things are just things’ mentality. Her approach is pragmatic without being too severe on indulgences that people like me have a hard time parting with. If you’re looking for an ‘influencer’ of sorts who won’t just post a bunch of links you can’t afford, I highly recommend following her on social!

Pretty things

As you can imagine, sleep has not been as consistent as it usually is. A as result, I’ve recently had many a morning where I look in the mirror and say: “oh wow.” The bags under my eyes have reached new levels of dark and puffy. These eye masks have been a lifesaver. I immediately see a significant improvement every time I use them. This makes me feel a little less zombie-esque when Monica wakes up four times a night because we’re in an environment she’s not used to.

In camaraderie,

Miranda Kate