There’s nothing like a storm to bring proper
perspective to the meaning of life. It’s
easy to forget there are more important things to deal with than the quest to
win an election.
This past weekend brought greater clarity to
what makes me tick. I was reminded of
love while performing the wedding ceremony for Drew Hill and Aidil Ortiz
Collins. Saturday was a day filled with
thoughts that left me desiring to leap over the broom. My day is coming soon. Life is too short to waste.
Then there’s the storm. It was hard for me to remain focused. King, my son, was stuck in Washington, DC on
his way to New York City. Sandy was headed
his way. We talked as I unpacked my bags
at the hotel in Richmond, VA. No matter
how old they get, you still worry about your babies.
I was stuck between the celebration of love
and the fear of destruction. Thoughts of
the storm intensified as I waited for Connie to make her way to Richmond. She drove alone. She was set to arrive near midnight. She drove in the rain.
I stayed at the hotel as the wedding party
went salsa dancing. My attention
remained glued to the television to keep track of the storm. “This is a record breaking storm,” a meteorologist
said. “They will be talking about this one for decades.”
King is safe.
Connie made it to Richmond. The
storm has passed.
Then comes the morning.
Viewing the devastation leaves one numb. You’re thankful it wasn’t you. You’re sad for the people impacted by the
storm. You’re left wondering what can be done to help them pull from under the rubbish. Yes, it could have been me. It could have been my son. It could have been Connie.
Knowing that isn’t enough to take the ache
away. Storms connect people. All divides diminish when the wind and the waves
come to pull down trees, destroy homes and take lives. Storms remind us of things money can’t
buy. They don’t discriminate. They can’t be controlled by the assumptions
of power.
You can’t play games when lives have been
lost and people are without utilities and homes. There’s a job that must be done.
New Jersey Chris Christie understands what
matters the most.
“The
President has been all over this and he deserves great credit,” Christie said
on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”. “He told me to call him if I needed anything and he absolutely
means it, and it’s been very good working with the President and his
administration.”
When asked if Mitt Romney would visit New Jersey, Christie
replied, “I have a job to do. If you think right now I give a damn about
presidential politics, than you don’t know me.”
The biggest news in the aftermath of Sandy is Christie’s praise of
Obama. Articles have been written that accuse Christie of coming close to
endorsing Obama. Republicans want him to
stop all the praise. Questions have been
raised about Romney’s opposition to continued funding of FEMA. Yes, hurricane Sandy exposes the weakness of
Romney’s plan to shift disaster relief to the states, but none of that takes
precedent over what concerns Christie.
Christie is faced with
rebuilding New Jersey. Politics has to
take the back seat. He needs the support
of the President, and he has received that support. Not because it’s the politically correct
thing to do, but because it’s the right thing to do.
Storms have a way of reminding us of what matters the most. Be it love, the fragile nature of life or how
quickly things can be taken away, storms teach us an important lesson.
You can’t play politics when people need a helping hand.
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