Hurricane Sandy: Why not me?

5 AM Monday morning and there are a ton of freshly fallen leaves on the patio that are piling against the back door, so I guess that is the wind direction Hurricane Sandy is taking here in South Brunswick.

Hard to tell because while there are gusts, nothing is howling. That audio part of this storm is apparently scheduled for mid-afternoon through Tuesday night.

But there are zero bird sounds to be heard. None of the morning chatter that is so common to this time of day. And that is eerie. Both of my dogs are unafraid, so my sense of a calm to this storm is definitely shared.  

I will say that I slept well and had no dreams of failing at the responsibility of holding back the waves from doing human and property damage. I have always had the role of Sentry while others in my family-of-origin slept soundly and this Sandy storm, for all of it's negatives, is a concrete indicant for me of my increasing mental/spiritual health in this area with regard to surrender.  

Another indicant for me is that I do not pray that this storm  track changes in another direction (except harmlessly out to sea which it is too late to happen).

Being in harm's way is not something I want to experience  and do not want anyone to experience. So I figure that all of us have to take turns being in the physical, mental, and spiritual eye of life's storms.  

And, today is my turn.  

And after watching pictures of the ocean wiping out lots of the Jersey coast piers and flooding stores and houses, I know others are also taking their turn and my prayers are with them (just as I pray for myself to be able to accept the things I cannot change). 

It is odd that the first lesson of this big storm is so powerful. Fair is fair. We all take turns. And the only way to exist is to help those whose turn it is.  

This awareness is bringing me an amazing and deep peace. 

At least this is how it feels early in the morning on Monday October 29 as Hurricane SANDY makes her place in Central NJ USA history. BE SAFE EVERYONE! 

Copyright 2012 Judy Shepps Battle

Judy Shepps Battle is a New Jersey resident, addictions specialist, consultant and freelance writer. Her weekly column "It Takes a Village" appeared in the South Brunswick Patch for a year. She can be reached by e-mail at writeaction@aol.com. Additional information on this and other topics can be found at her website at http://www.writeaction.com/.