I want to share this article on the Houston flooding from Harvey because I have never experienced anything like this in MY life, and I’m a lucky one. I can’t even explain how I feel when I go by our old house to pick up the mail or check on my neighbors.  The best emotions I can compare it to are panic and being out of control, though I know those are not really rational. I get a headache and feel nauseated.  I can still “smell” the flood even though the water is long gone.  Even if I’m just there for a minute, I have to use some of my oils to feel better and get rid of the scent stuck in my nose (or just in my head)!!! If you are curious my “go-tos” are the allergy trio (lavender, lemon, peppermint), Joy, and Deep Relief.  

I actually felt safe the first time we went back to MD Anderson after the flood because it was so familiar and comfortable to me. It is a place where my husband has been and is being cared for, and I actually feel more in control here than anywhere else.   We’ve “lived” here and experienced our regular life here more than anywhere else in a long time.  Crazy, huh???  

I’ve been asked if things are back to normal in Houston, and it’s hard for me to answer that question.  Businesses for the most part are open, people are back to work or in school, things are running okay, I suppose.  I am very impressed by the resiliency of the people and this city.  However, in the areas that flooded or were otherwise devastated by Harvey things are not “normal”, though they are better.  I don’t think that exists any more, just as my old “normal life” doesn’t exist anymore either!   Sometimes I try to count just how many different normals I have had in my lifetime, and I give up long before I finish!  The last good day before my husband began this current hospital stay, we found a larger apartment in an area of town still close to the hospital that didn’t flood. It’s ground level and right across the street from a great weekend Farmer’s market and a fabulous dog park.  We both were kind of excited about starting over in this new place.  We are supposed to move in there October 19, and I’m still hopeful that we can.  I know there are others like me all over this city hoping for the best for their future while still trying to clean up and get over what is past and doing what they have to do in the present.

The writer of the article linked above shows excellent insight into what is happening with flood victims here in Houston.  I think these things most likely hold true for other areas that have been devastated over the past few weeks.  It is hard to believe what has happened just in the past 6 weeks in our country (Puerto Rico and the U.S.V.I.s are in our country ).

Please be kind and keep spreading love and joy.  Keep passing it on because we ALL need it for some reason or another, and the world seems unusually cruel right now.  Let’s focus on what we can do to make things a little better for someone else even if we have to step outside our comfort zone.   Being “normal” is overrated anyway! 😉