Just past midnight on March 3rd, we woke up to hail and rain hitting our windows, gusty winds and a crazy lightning show. It was impressive and very scary. We knew that something was off and turned on the TV to hear the weather man talk about taking immediate shelter due to tornado warnings. Not far from us, the emergency sirens also went off. I kept an eye on the radar, ready to wake up everyone in case of it coming any closer. Eventually though the powerful and fast moving storm moved on and we went back to sleep.
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| We live inside the blue circle. |
Unfortunately, the next morning, we saw the outcome of the what happened that night: a destructive EF-3 tornado carved a path of damage through Downtown and East Nashville and on for many more across East Tennessee. In total that night, 10 tornadoes were reported, the nearest and most powerful one only 5 miles away from our home. The overnight disaster injured scores of people and damaged or destroyed homes, businesses, schools and churches across 4 counties. 25 people lost their lives, including 5 children, and tens of thousands of people were without power for several days. The destruction the tornadoes left behind is horrendous:
But we are #Nashvillestrong:
As soon as daylight hit and for many days/ weeks to come, thousands of people showed up to volunteer - clean-up, assess damage, distribute provisions- donate supplies and money. I now know why we call this the Volunteer State. It is amazing to be part of this effort and to help each other out. While we were not able to volunteer yet, we ensured that we contributed necessary school supplies and hygiene articles to the cause.
But despite being occupied with what just happened here in middle TN, we also kept an eye on what is globally going on. The Coronavirus Covid-19 is now on everyone's mind and occupies the entire newscast. While America is one of the last countries to finally act upon this global pandemic - until now testing has been far and few - it is impacting all of us and will affect how life unfolds in the next three, four, even six weeks from now.
From empty grocery shelves to school closures, events being cancelled or postponed and employees working remotely, social distancing is becoming reality for all of us and while this is something totally new and unexpected, we will have to adjust and be patient and gentle with each other. We can be diligent in following the recommendations of what's expected of us and our community. We can be hopeful and find joy in the small things that will make up our new routine for a while.
So today (Day 1 of social distancing) we slept in, did some chores and then went to the park for a walk. When it started to rain, we went home to play games and watch some TV together. I already organized a couple of closets and spring cleaning will ensue as well as finishing up certain DIY home projects. This is a scary and disruptive time as there are so many unknown factors. But it may also be a time we all desperately needed...to step away from the hectic lifestyle of working long hours, running from one activity to the next and being busy all the time. The circumstances of this "taking a step back" may not be ideal by any means and I do pray that we can contain this global outbreak as fast as possible as way too many lives have already been lost/ negatively affected due to the virus but putting a focus on helping each other, need vs want (what do people do with 144 rolls of toilet paper???) and precious time with my family - finding pleasures in the simple things in life and the gift of time - is now what it is all about. So make the best of it so that our grandchildren will one day talk about how the world came together in this time of uncertainty, panic and need and how love and community prevailed thru it all.
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