Storms Of Life

       This past week has been a difficult time for many in our state, some more then others. We had an unusual situation that is rare to the extent it was on June 1st. Our great state had several encounters with tornado's. Granted the tornado's that whipped through our state were no where close to the damage most tornado's do but when you are not used to them, it is down right scary. Even when they don't hit where you are but come close, is freaky.
       Storms effect everyone differently. They can effect you physically, emotionally and mentally. For my DD #1 and I, we experience storms physically with painful joints that ache when the barometric pressure drops. For my DD #2 she loves most storms, the excitement of the thunder and lightening and even the rising water that floods our parking stops during heavy downpours. My DD #3 is still young enough that she has a lot of fears regarding impending storms. This last storm that involved the tornado's, caused us all to be a little more anxious about the danger they could possibly do.
        Unlike the members of my family, good friends of ours, Michael and Judy, came down during the storm and chatted for a bit while we all watched the news to follow the tornado's path's. Michael has been through many tornado warnings and watches, so he was calm, cool and collected. My DD's seemed to calm down more with Michael and Judy being here, and my DD's #1 and #3 actually calmed down enough to fall asleep. Where my DD #2 and I stayed up watching the news as well as the lightening outside.
       Like the events of the other night's storms, living with a person with MI can be similar. Things can be calm and beautiful and suddenly a storm in life arises without much warning. Even when you have warning, there is very little you can do to stop it once it is in motion. Some storms in life can be like our parking lot flooding, be inconvenient but not too bad. Some may be like a good thunder and lightening storm and just make a lot of noise with not a lot of damage. Some yet can be like a hurricane, blowing heavy and ripping things apart that makes life difficult to manage till after the storm is over and clean up can happen.
      Then there are those  storms that can be weathered with an experienced person. It wasn't because Michael had some magical powers or that we wouldn't be hurt in a tornado because he and Judy were here. It was instead because he had experience in these difficult and stressful situations involving tornado's. He and Judy had a calm about themselves and that in turn calmed the girls.
       I have found that the same can be said for the storms in life that are a "given" when dealing with a person with MI. When the people around the individual is calm then that in itself is calming to the others around them. I have noticed that if I "loose it" then the situation gets out of control faster. Another thing that helps with the life storms is being prepared for situations to happen. If there is a plan in place for those difficult times, it is much easier to come out on the other side of the storm with minimal damage and repair work to do.