I’m going to let some of them stir now… I live in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and we were recently hit with Hurricane Helene. This catastrophic storm has created historical damage in our area. It’s unlocking so much. And we can foresee longterm effects.

I feel shocked. I think everyone I know underestimated Helene. All my life, hurricanes have gotten crazy media hype, only to be quite piddly. Some rain, some wind, don’t even need to secure your outdoor lawn chairs.

I feel angry. The News is actually a part of the big problem that upsets me at this moment. Every storm gets treated with extreme language and fear tactics, so viewers like me are desensitized to – and straight up ignore – what’s really a threat. The Boy Who Cried Wolf fails us.

I feel relief. My family was very fortunate. We were scared in the storm, with intense noise and movement. We lost power, internet and phone services early that Friday morning. My toddlers certainly were frantic and confused. Yet… We had no property damage, graciously relocated to stay with unaffected relatives nearby and got to return to our home after about a week.

I feel lingering hurt. On that Saturday, when the hurricane had passed but the aftermath was just beginning, my husband flew to Minnesota. He “made sure we were safe” but then left for a preplanned Bro Trip. I’m all for fun with friends, but the timing was more than inconvenient. He can’t understand my childhood experience and deep-seated anxiety, but the leaving reopened old wounds surrounding abandonment and security and love.

I feel utter grief. My situation does not come close to any devastation in Western North Carolina, where people two hours away from me are literally struggling and will have years of rebuilding their lives and their towns. Many died and are still missing. Businesses and schools remain closed.

The tug of duality is strange. In my little world – fine and thankful. Next door – horror and ruined. I’m trying to deem my own feelings valid, while recognizing that they pale in comparison to others. I want to keep these perspectives in mind, to sit with them and grow from them. I’m not ready to simply “move on” and “get back to normal.”