Lightning, Tornadoes and Flooding...Oh My!

A few nights ago, I got to behold one of the most beautiful things in nature: a thunderstorm.  You may laugh, but I believe there is something simply amazing about the lightning striking across the sky, ripping the dark clouds apart, bringing light into the night for mere seconds.

There is so much symbolism that can be seen within lightning.  It happens typically in conjunction with a storm, a violent occurrence in nature.  It is electricity, something that we as people took so much time trying to figure out how to harness and use to our advantage.  It is almost angry, the thunder rolling behind it, almost a warning of the power you barely missed being inflicted upon your head.  With the exception, of course, of those individuals who have been struck by this part of nature.

So much of life can be compared to a lightning storm.  Life comes and goes in a blink of an eye.  If you aren't careful, you will miss the path you are suppose to walk down.  The only echo of that chance is the thunder that follows.  The bright streaks across the sky remind us that every moment is precious.  We have been having several storms lately but we cannot forget Oklahoma in our thoughts and prayers.  While we held witness to electricity striking across our sky, they held witness to a tower of wind, debris and terror.

I cannot imagine the fear that would overcome me should I ever see a tornado knocking at my doorstep.  What do you do in those moments?  Do you cling to your family or do try to outrun a freight train?  Yes, nature is a thing of beauty but a thing to fear as well.  When I was younger, I was reminded of this quite clearly.

Aerial views of Rocky Mount, NC
flooding

Hurricane Floyd ripped through my hometown of Rocky Mount, North Carolina.  I remember going through hurricanes vividly.  By the end of the night, my sisters and I would be with my parents in their room as the wind howled around us, trees seemingly being brought to their knees.  A calm would come but we know this is a false sense of security, the back wall of the monster fast approaching.  The morning after Floyd, we stepped outside to survey the damage.  To our surprise, we could see the water line two blocks behind our home.  We could go down the street to a valley where my sisters, our friends and all of us would ride our bikes down which was now filled with water...

Remember to celebrate life each and every day.  You never know when you will miss that strike of lightning for opportunity only to hear it in an echo.  And you never know when the water may be fast approaching your family.  Protect what you love and respect what you don't understand.  Most importantly, in times of need, look out for one another.  That's how my family and our neighbors got through, working together.  Until then, enjoy a thing called, "La Vie."