Who ticked off Mother Nature?? So far this year we've had the ciccada invasion, floods, tornadoes and hurricane threats here on the east coast. Watching Hurricane Charley head for the Tampa area last week I suddenly realized how much I stood to lose if it hit there. Almost my entire family lives in the Clearwater and Palm Harbor area and they seemed to have a big red target painted on them for a while. Although thankful my family's area was spared, my heart goes out to the friends and familiy of all those in the Punta Gorda and surrounding areas devastated by Charley. Having had an up-close and personal visit by Hurricane Isabel last year, I can only imagine the countless hours and untold expense that will be involved in the cleanup and restoration of the affected areas of Florida.
Although I have many family members in the Tampa area, none are native born Floridians. My sister and her husband transplanted about 8 years ago from Baltimore, to be followed by my parents several years later and my sister Carolyn from Maine not too long ago. I've spent many wonderful visits with my sister Nancy who began the family love affair with the area and can easily understand what drew them there. I've found the Palm Harbor area to be beautiful and one of the most relaxing places I've ever been, so much so that we just 2 months ago purchased our own home not far from the rest of the family. In spite of the "Murphy's Law" weekend I recently spent in Florida, I always look forward to returning and already have plans for the Labor Day weekend in Palm Harbor. So I followed Charley's progress with trepidation, hoping he would change direction and praying for whoever he chose as his victim.
Friday was spent listening to the updates, making calls to family and crossing every available body part in some small effort to stay connected to those in peril. My family in Florida all congregated at my parents' home, animals in tow, and waited for the worst. Sitting here in Maryland I felt powerless to help and paced endlessly, mentally sending my thoughts to my family. The possible loss of property was not much of a concern since houses can be rebuilt and possessions replaced. But the injury or loss of any of my family members was as monumental a concept as I've ever faced. Watching Charley's determined progress, I constantly consulted the maps to see how close he was getting and when he made the sudden turn into shore I finally exhaled in relief. The video from Punta Gorda is heart-wrenching to watch and knowing it could have just as easily been the Clearwater and Palm Harbor area is almost inconceivable.
Phone calls to my parents and Nancy finally convinced me that everyone, though tired and stressed, made it through the day and were preparing to return to their own homes. Never have I been so happy to hear the voices of my family members and to know that all was well. Even as Charley continued to threaten our area of the east coast, I felt in my heart that we would all survive the experience intact and with a much greater appreciation for the people in our lives.
I have always believed that a sense of humor is an essential part of life and even with Charley's threatening presence, I called Nancy to apologize for the hex I unknowingly brought to Florida on my last visit. The problems with my air conditioner, telephone, modem and rental car coupled with my parents air conditioning unit breaking down last week and Charley bearing down on Florida seemed much more than just a string of bad coincidences. In a small attempt to inject a bit of humor I asked Nancy if perhaps Murphy's first name might just be Charley. Now with the sun shining and the threat past, I'm thinking our next visit in September will again be beautiful and relaxing and spending time with my family is at the top of the agenda.