37: Parenting in the Hurricane

"When something bad happens you have three choices. You can let it define you, let it destroy you, or you can let it strengthen you." Anonymous This week's episode is all about our experience with Hurricane Matthew in Florida.   I invited my daughter Angel on the show to share her experience with it all as well. We discuss what it was like to prepare for it, leave our home, arrive at a nearby safe place, worry about friends and family, wonder if we would have a home to come home to, and our delight in the fact that damage was minimal and our community survived.  We also discuss what it was like to look at footage of the damage that Hurricane Matthew had in other places such as Haiti, Jacksonville, St. Augustine and more.   During our evacuation, we stayed at a hotel that accepted pets.  It was quite the experience.  The people at the hotel were super kind.  We did witness a few people showing symptoms of stress and low tolerance, but overall people were overwhelmingly positive.   My husband was at work the entire time, so it was just me, Tommy and Angel, and Max our dog.  Our car was packed with stuff that we considered valuable.   Unfortunately, right after we returned home, I checked my email and discovered that someone had made 2 fraudulent charges on my card for apple watches.  I received 2 "thank you for your purchase" emails!  Needless to say, this increased the stress level.  Damage was minimal with that as well.  It makes me think of that movie, Identity Thief with Melissa McCarthy.  That movie is so good.  It's not rated for kids, but it is funny and parts of it seem educational as it can give a glimpse into the world of credit card fraud.  We were so fortunate to see that we only had a fence panel blown over, but some of our friends weren't so lucky.  Lots of people lost power through it all.  Luckily we didn't, but my cousin Connie and her family did.  Florida Power and Light has been working tirelessly through it all.  Also, power trucks from all around has come to our community to help out.  I heard that they made a tent city while they worked in shifts.  It just makes my heart smile thinking about how people work together in a time of crisis.  When times are hard, sometimes it can bring out the best in people. We are immensely grateful.  Now that it is over, we are getting back to normal.  I've been putting things back on the walls and bookshelves at my private practice and the kids return back to school today.  They've had 3 days off because of Hurricane Matthew.   The Parenting Skill's Summit! "I am so excited to finally shout from the rooftops that you can now register for the upcoming summit: The World's Best Parenting Summit!! We have some amazingly dynamic parenting experts who will be giving more of the awesome support you need to be the most rocking parent you can be! This time around the focus is on finding your tribe, rocking your parenting, and raising healthy kids! We'll be talking about so many amazing topics, including how to raise healthy boys, how to encourage your young athlete, how to incorporate mindfulness into your daily life, move towards more authentic parenting, how to talk about sex with your child (for all ages), and so much more! Check out the details here to register: http://bit.ly/WBPS2016 to sign up and get ready for the summit - which launched October 10th! Feel free to share and let each and every parent you know in on this amazing FREE event!!"   If you'd like to connect with me, I offer consultation and parent coaching support.  Just email me at [email protected] or at my private practice at [email protected]   Below Are Some Sites, Affiliate Links to Books/Products That I Love Labyrinths 20% off for calming, focus and connectedness.  http://www.relax4life.com/JF.html  www.parentingintherain.com www.jackieflynnconsulting.com www.counselinginbrevard.com  https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentingintherain/