Tropical Storm California

Happy Sunday,

How is everyone doing on this wet and rainy Sunday afternoon? Are you ready for our first tropical storm since 1939? I think we are. We are the first point of contact for this tropical storm, yup, that’s right, we’re here in San Diego. So far so good though, it’s only been lightly raining.

So, today is a lay low, laundry, watch a movie or two and write my blog, oh and do a YouTube video kind of day. I love the rain, so I am enjoying listening to the rain drops as they splash ever so lightly on the patio. Wherever you are in the world today, please stay safe and maybe, send a few positive vibes out to those in the line of this tropical storm. I know some areas have mandatory evacuations in place. Prayers for those affected by this.

This tropical storm that California is in the midst of started out being a hurricane. Hurricane Hillary has veered her ugly eye in Mexico and is on path to California, in fact, parts of California have already been declared a state of emergency. Was this presumptuous? Declaring an emergency before the storm actually hit? Perhaps some would feel that way, while others may feel that by doing this, more lives could be saved. Isn’t it better to be overly prepared rather than simply, hoping for the best.

While the rains have yet to be heavy here, there is still the warning that heavy downpours will begin within the next couple of hours. People are urged to stay in and hunker down rather than being out and about. Following such guidelines could very well save a life.

I want to take a moment too to thank those who serve our country and our communties, those of you who are out in the front lines, saving peoples lives and keeping them safe, especially on days like today with so many unknowns of what a hurricane or tropical storm could look like here in California.

With this hurricane/tropical storm we are facing, it reminded me of the storms of life. We all face them in one way or another. I know I’ve told you all this before, so forgive me for saying it again. John is always telling me that in life, we face certain challenges. Those challenges are our lessons in life and the more lessons we learn, the less baggage we carry over into our next life. Hopefully once a lesson is learned, it won’t need to be repeated.

While some of you perhaps don’t believe in an after life, maybe you believe in going to heaven or for some, going to hell, but whatever your belief system is, one thing we can be certain of, we all face obstacles, challenges and storms. Sometimes it looks like our life has exploded into a full on hurricane, but life events change and it’s downgraded to a mere storm. Both can be equally destructive, if we allow it and if we aren’t prepared.

I love this quote, “the rainbow is always inside the storm.”-Matshona Dhilwayo. Positive outlook on how to view storms of life for sure. I know we’ve all faced devastating storms and while at the time, we didn’t see a way out of it, we survived. We were gifted a rainbow, maybe not a literal rainbow, but a rainbow of some sort.

I know in my life, some of the storms I faced were due to decisions I made. While at the time, I wondered if I would even survive the storms in my life. I was lucky. I had some pretty amazing people in my life that were there, and continue to be here supporting me. I have been blessed to have friends who became family. Without them, I’m not sure how some of my storms would have faired.

“You will pass through storms and heavy rains, and at times you will suffer defeat. The essence of the creative life, however, is not to give up in the face of defeat but to follow the rainbow that exists within your hearts.”-Daisaku Ikeda.

Some of my choices I’ve made have led to me being defeated, some have lead me down the path to my most creative life and others have led me to a beautiful rainbow. I’ve learned, I’ve been reminded and I’ve refused to listen. I’m a work in progress. I dread the hurricanes, I fear the storms and I welcome the rainbow at the end of the rain.

Hurricane Hillary has been downgraded to a tropical storm, nonetheless, there is still a threat of damages that can occur. One way to stay safe and out of harms way is to follow the direction of experts who’ve recommended staying home. Don’t drive unless absolutely necessary. Preparations were put into place days before the actual hurricane/tropical storm was due to hit. Being prepared, in my opinion is always a good thing. Sure, time and unforeseen circumstances come upon all of us, however, as we navigate through life, I think it’s wise on our part to prepare for the worst and be thankful for the best.

Some of the challenges I’ve faced could have been avoided if I would have only thought about my actions before embarking on certain journeys, but hindsight is always 20/20. I have come to learn in my own life storms, as I navigate on my next chapter of life, I am a bit wiser and try to prepare for long term storms rather than just creating a tsunami of waves that perhaps could have been avoided.

Preparing for life’s unknowns isn’t always easy and sometimes, it’s a wonderful adventure to take a chance, however, on some of the bigger decisions of life, being prepared and having a well thought out plan will generally help us avoid pitfalls or at least minimize them.

With the uncertainties of Hurricane Hilary/Tropical Storm Hilary, I’ve been kindly reminded of just how important it is to be prepared for life’s unknowns. It’s good to have a supply of canned goods, water and cash on hand. It’s good to have some money in a savings account that can sustain us for a few months should something unforeseen happen. It’s good to have emergency contact numbers easily accessible, not only for ourselves, but for others in our families. It’s also a good thing, a loving thing to check in on your loved ones to make sure they’re safe. It’s smart to not quite a job unless you have another one lined up and it’s good to always include God in our lives.

I know some of you don’t believe in God, and that’s okay because I know you have a belief system that makes sense to you, so whatever it is or whoever it is you believe in, hold onto those core beliefs as you continue on this journey of life.

I hope you are all safe and doing well today. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend. Oh, one more thing, don’t forget, love life++ hugs.