Frozen.
That’s what we woke up to this morning. The entirety of everything encapsulated in ice. Cars. Trees. Bricks. Every petal on every flower. Every blade of grass. Frozen. It’s exactly how I feel at the moment. Exactly how I’ve been feeling some time now.
Amidst the lush green grass and still living flowers, our lives have been blanketed by a sheet of ice, immobilizing everything. It’s quiet. It’s serene. But it’s also frightening and cold.
I sit frozen waiting on a call, text, or message from my family in Panama City Beach, Florida. Despite begging them to leave, they remained to ride out Hurricane Michael, despite the warnings to leave. There is no contact. No phone lines. No power. No communication. Frozen.
I am frozen. Frozen with worry. Are they alright? Are they safe? While they sheltered in place bracing the strongest storm to hit the panhandle in over a century, we were dodging snowflakes and receiving notifications of freeze warnings. Mother nature sure seems angry, doesn’t she?
I am unable to move, quite similar to these precious snapdragons, lavender, roses, and more. They sit frozen shut, perfect and preserved and still, unlike my mind wild with worry. We’re kind of hoping that my family is just as these flowers, grass, and leaves are – perfectly fine, just unable to move. We hope they’re safe, they’re okay, they’ll be able to move and leave soon. But for now? We hope they’re fine, only immobile. I try to keep that thought safe in my mind’s eye. I am trying so hard. But I can’t stop feeling helpless and oh-so-frozen with life in a standstill until I know they’re okay.
If you’re the praying type, or the positive thoughts type, the spiritual type, the Care Bear Stare type, or whatever type of person you are to support someone who needs it, if you wouldn’t mind, we’d covet a little lovin’ being beamed down to the South right now and in the coming days. Not just for my family, but for everyone’s family down there. I hope they’re all safe, calm, and protected. I hope communication is resumed soon, so people can let other worried families like ours know that they’re okay.
