Crisis can either bring us together or drive us apart-WE decide.

Hurricane clean up is in full effect all around our area here in Florida.

Flooding, debris, destruction, lack of power, and loss of normalcy are debilitiating many of our residents, keeping people in shelters long past when they’d prefer to be back home. For others, who either sheltered in place or have returned home already, those folks are doing the best they can to hang on while the public works crews get “modern civilzation” modern and civilized once again.

Hurricane Matthew has truly put millions of people in crisis this past week, and one thing we know for certain about a crisis: it can either bring us together or drive us apart.

But whichever it is, how we react is always up to us.

A photo of a boarded up home circulating online showed a checklist that read:

That message is loud and clear. 

But for every act of division, there are also acts of kindness, support, and community.

These are just a few that I’ve seen or heard about so far:

• The reverse phone system sent out a call to all the families whose children attend our community school asking for towels, bars of soap, and ground coffee for those who are still sheltering in our local schools. The community responded.
• Ice ran out long ago and those without power are in desperate need. Those of us who bought ice and didn’t need it have been visiting the local ice machine and giving away our ice to anyone who is there looking for some.
• A local restaurant owner started cooking at 5pm and announced he would feed anyone who came in before 9pm for free.
• The Sonny’s BBQ dining room is closed to the public but open for the power line workers so they can eat, relax, and then get back to restoring power.
• Folks with power have opened their homes to friends and family without power, offering warm showers and air conditioning while service is being restored.
• Local organizations have assembled clean up crews manned by volunteers ready to get out there to clean up debris and other damage.

In any situation, WE decide how we are going to react and respond.

Each of us can choose to react with compassion and kindness, or threats and force.

But remember, what goes around, comes around.

If you need help, expect it to be there.

If you can give help, give it freely and lovingly.

This is the law of circulation.

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