My husband, Ken, was near death, suffering dementia, pretty much unable to walk and in a hospital bed in our condo. But he wasn't aware of any of these things. So when the three Orlando hurricanes of 2004, Charley, Frances and Jeanne came and went, they left me, and our whole family, traumatized.
This time it's different. Our hatches are battened down. Our batteries, flashlights and radios are lined up in the kitchen. Our hurricane door is ready to be lowered. We've had a pleasant day. We walked in a near empty mall this morning. Dave had his usual Thursday afternoon cribbage game with Art at the kitchen table. We've encouraged friends and neighbors to be ready. Many prayers have been offered for all those who've been affected and will be affected by Hurricane Matthew.
In 2004:
- Hurricane Charley was a nightmare in my house.
- Three weeks later while Hurricane Frances was whipping up, Ken died in his bed.
- Two weeks after that Hurricane Jeanne arrived at a sad and lonely time.
Tomorrow will be what it will be. But tonight I am feeling blessed.
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