It’s early for a storm, but I think most people would say it is par for the course when it comes to 2020.
Between the pandemic and the civil unrest in our country, there is nothing normal about this year. So, a storm—a hurricane, a tropical storm—it’s just another crisis for us to deal with, a crisis on top of crises.
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And let’s face it, it’s early in the hurricane season, so we will no doubt see more storms come our way. If we do, it’s important to remember that when the crisis is yours, when it’s in your backyard, nothing else matters—not even the coronavirus.
My hope is that, somehow, we will escape the path of devastating storms this year. I’ve been around for all of them for the past three decades and seeing the loss of life and destruction of property is not something that even a seasoned journalist ever gets used to. It’s heartbreaking. My fingers are crossed that Mother Nature gives us a break in 2020.
Most importantly, for our children, how we handle the crises our state and our nation are facing will determine how they will handle them. It’s times like these when our adult coping skills are called into action. We have to model calmness, civility, and strength in the face of the storms, both literal and figurative.
It’s not easy. Believe me, I know. Some days I just want to stop adulting, stay in bed all day and read a book instead of facing what’s happening around me. But I don’t do that, for a myriad of reasons, but mostly because I have a family that depends on me.
As long as I do, no matter what storms are brewing around me, I will get out of bed every day and put one foot in front of the other. I’m not sure where I’m going. I’m not sure any of us know that right now, but I’m pretty sure we’re all thinking about sprinting into 2021.
Amanda is a mom of two, a reporter for WRAL and the author of several books including some on motherhood. Find her here on Mondays.