Serendipity
Hell and high water
I found out about the typhoon and flood that hit the city (and most of Panay Island) two weekends ago from my husband. He was stranded in his office when we talked, desperate to go home to our kids, while I too was "stranded" here, a thousand miles away from them. I've never felt as helpless in my entire life as I felt that Saturday. I wanted to be there for my babies, to comfort and take care of them, but instead, I was stuck here, looking at the tragedy from a television screen.
It's a first for us all, to experience this kind of disaster. The house where I spent most of my growing up years has been marred by flood waters. But it is as resilient as its owners, so from what I gathered from my husband, the damage was not as bad as I feared it would be. The upside is, our house is still standing albeit surrounded with muck and mud; the downside: it's time to look for new furniture.
I can imagine how disorienting and traumatic it must have been for my children. My almost 3 year old daughter, Ripley, was not able to say a word hours after she and her brother Zach were piggybacked to safety while the water was already rising inside our house. But she takes after me; she's a strong girl. Somehow, she managed to snap out of her silence and sang songs until she was hoarse. It must have been her way of coping -- God really knows how to take care of the little ones.
A few weeks ago I wrote about Myanmar and China and how saddened I was for the homes, possessions, and lives that were lost. Who would have predicted that my own hometown, which I thought was impervious to such an onslaught, would be next in line?
I don't know what's happening to our world. I've been thinking long and hard at how we just take things for granted. Is this the price we have to pay for being apathetic, careless, and abusive? Nature has once again unleashed its wrath – this time ravaging our very homes, taking the things, and the people we love. It is scary to be living in this angry, vengeful world. I'm thinking, is it payback time?
But I don't want to be negative and paranoid. I want to dwell instead on the infinite goodness of God. Cliché or no cliché, I know that the sun always comes out after a long, dark night. We'll get through this stronger and more united. With generosity and cooperation, I know we'll be able to "snap" out of this and sing our songs of hope until we're hoarse – come hell or high water.
(To my two precious babies: Ripley and Zach who are celebrating their birthdays a day apart [good planning on my part, thank you very much] -- wishing you all the best this world has to offer. Happy 3rd and 9th birthday on July 10 and 12! God bless you my babies and lots of love from Mom and Dad!)