Surviving Irma

by Julie Alcin

When a natural disaster occurs, there are two ways one can react: the right or the wrong way. Although there are people who choose to react by breaking into places and raiding everything as if there is an apocalypse leading to our impending doom, there are also those who manage to keep their calm and work hard to put things back together. There are those who lost everything, yet still find the strength to give anything.

Most of us survived a category 5 hurricane when we didn’t think we would. But the affects were devastating, and for some, Irma took more than just their houses, businesses, and/or loved ones. It took their minds, hearts, and even their humanity, which can make it very difficult to find peace in the middle of destruction. Our minds start to wonder about a million things at once, hurdling us into a panic induced fear where nothing is no longer rational. In the midst of the irrationality, grief can be found hiding behind our smiles or rage. And though it is easy to focus on the negative, we should also take time to think about the positives or at least redirect that focus onto rebuilding our home – St. Maarten, because there is hope – even if it seems minuscule – there shall always be hope as long as we have each other.

Photo caption: The body language of a Sucker Garden resident says it all. Photo by Today photo journalist Milton Pieters.