Gustav, Ike et al.

Good morning,
whenever I hear a report of a hurricane or tornado on the the radio; my thoughts go out to the people who will be affected by it. Those who will lose their life. Those who will be injured. Those who will become homeless, those who will become unemployed. As a society, we have learned the lessons from disasters like Katrina. We evacuate in plenty of time to minimize the death toll; we expect destruction and damage, most of us realize that “sitting it out and waiting for the storm to pass” isn’t really a viable or safe option.

Coming back to your property though, once the storm has passed, can be heartbreaking. While insurance may cover you (if such ‘acts of God’ are covers) from damage to many possessions, it cannot cover those items that get damaged or destroyed that hold great personal significance. Photographs. Letters. Things we cannot get back.

It’s easy to get wound up in the feelings of loss towards our material possessions and memorabilia; it is easy to forget that we have been spared and have survived the onslaught. Possessions may be destroyed, but they can be replaced. Memorabilia may be destroyed, but we will always have our memories. Our houses may be damaged, but they can be repaired; or we can (with assistance if needed) move to new accommodation.

The important thing is to be thankful that we survived, and not lose sight of how much worse it could have been. That is my thought for today; to be thankful for the things we have in the face of adversity, to count our blessings and not be distraught by material loss.

Advertisement