Oh Sandy!

Well we're all hunkering down to weather Sandy, the hurricane that is passing through. We woke up with electricity, and since everything else, including the University and the churches are closed, I figured it would be a good time to post an update on how things are going!

Here is a map of Sandy's path as of midmorning Monday.

This weekend I was able to head up to Connecticut to visit my aunt and uncle. They were having an early Thanksgiving get together, as not everyone could make it in a month. I got to see my cousin who I grew up with visiting my grandparents' house. We are only a few months apart in age, so we get along pretty well. It had been a long time since we had seen each other though, almost a year and a half! As my uncle is a new and welcome addition to my extended family and I was unfortunately unable to attend his wedding to my aunt, I had yet to meet his 5 children, and my new cousins. Luckily two of his boys were able to come as well as his brother and sister-in-law. We had such a great time! There was so much food, even the men didn't have seconds of everything. Once we had rolled ourselves out of the house after dinner, we made our way to 41st Bridge Street, a nice restaurant that was hosting a Blues Band competition. It was so awesome! Both bands were extremely talented, but my favorite was the Delta Generators. They received a standing ovation and came on for 2 encores!

I had made the decision to leave in the morning, against my aunt's wishes, but it was important to be back down here to weather the storm with my team. Yesterday was spent stocking up on water, non-perishable foods, and batteries. The news is constantly on in the background - and gosh, I never thought I would become my mother. But here I am with a tab opened to the weather channel online, keeping an eye on Sandy even as I type. Both of my parents have been such a help and a blessing. Even though I am standing on my own two feet, making my own decisions, I know I can always call them, ask for advice, and they will give it. I am so blessed! Know that if you are in the path of the hurricane, you are in our prayers. Please keep me in yours so that I make it home on Thursday! (my plane leaves from JFK at 6:15am on Thursday)

I saw on one of the news stories that there were people refusing to evacuate, even though they were in evacuation zone A. While I know some of them choose this because, like someone told me recently, they think the government and the weather channel are in cahoots to boost the economy and the storm won't really be that bad, the reporter said some were staying behind because they were scared of loosing their houses. Seriously? I'm imagining a man standing in front of his house, his family huddled behind him, pointing a shotgun at the oncoming 'Frankenstorm'. All joking aside, there is something wrong with society that a person's property is worth more than complying with a government that's trying to save their life and the lives of the rescue teams who this person assumes would come rescue them if things got too bad. It reminds me of the story of the Prodigal Son. While this story is definitely a story about forgiveness (the younger son takes money from his father, squanders it, then comes back home where the father forgives him and welcomes him back with a huge party) the main moral is often overlooked. Both sons value material things: the younger son demands his inheritance from his father and returns only when the money has run out, the older son follows the letter of the law and is mad that he hasn't gotten a party sponsored by his father with his friends. But that's not the true treasure. The father says to the older son when he complains: "My son, you are here with me always". It is not the material things that have the most value, but the fact that we have a relationship with God.

We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. ~Mother Teresa