Surviving Together

Superstorm Sandy hit this week and living in New York, it hit hard. People have lost loved ones, their homes, and all of their belongings.  It is a devastating time for our area. I thought long and hard about blogging this week, but decided to do so in hopes of bringing a smile to those in need.

My husband and I are extremely lucky, as we have kept power and hot water all week, and had no damage from the storm. Our doors are open to anyone in need of a hot shower and a meal (take-out of course).  Please come on over!

This disaster reminded me of how important it is to have a support system – the people who are there through the most difficult times in your life. One of the greatest perks of marriage is having an immediate support system. Before the storm came, David and I discussed how to prepare and we were both involved in the planning. My husband went shopping for essentials and packed our ‘go bag’ while I cleaned up the house and laid out tarps for areas in our home that had previously flooded. It is such a wonderful thing to have a partner in all of the madness. And it is also a great time to see your partner in a good light. My husband checked on our elderly neighbor and drove his colleague home from work in the midst of the hurricane. During the tough times, I am constantly reminded of why I chose David.  He is calm, cool and collected, and always remembers that people are what really matter.

Of course, it can also be a time where you may not see your partner in the best light. Hysteria can ensue. Last year during Hurricane Irene, our home began to flood in the middle of the night. Water was slowly coming in from the windows and the walls, but it was everywhere. I woke up to the sounds of dripping while my wonderful husband snored away. And when I yelled to wake him, he was ‘calm, cool and collected’ while I ran around like a chicken to protect our belongings. In fact, I wanted to throw him out of a window and I only hoped that the hurricane winds would take him as quickly as Dorothy and Toto. Everyone deals with crises differently, and we are clearly polar opposites in this way.

So yes, my husband went shopping for essentials and packed our ‘go bag’. One might think that he made sure we would be prepared to stay home or be anywhere else. Unfortunately, this was not the case.

When David came back from the grocery store, he had purchased the following items:

-          Two gallons of water

-          Six pack of beer

-          One bottle of margarita (just add tequila) mix

-          One box of Rice-a-Roni

-          20 cups of pudding

I probably don’t need to write anything else here. Who does this?! The water was the only useful item on the list, and while I appreciate the alcohol, I would have preferred food that did not need to be cooked.  He then argued with me that pudding has a lot of protein and that I was not allowed to eat it until it was necessary. We are never going to finish all this pudding.

While I am not quite sure what David put in the ‘go bag’, I can tell you what was NOT included:

-          Wife’s passport

-          Wife’s birth certificate

-          Marriage certificate

-          Checkbook

-          Wife’s clothing

When we were on our way to work Monday, I asked my husband about my change of clothes and he let me know that he had only packed me socks and underwear.  I suppose this is better than nothing, but if it were used as a ‘go bag’, I would not have gotten very far.

Of course I would never seriously complain, just thought you might enjoy hearing about my husband’s ridiculous behavior. We are so blessed to have each other and so lucky to have survived this storm without any impact. My thoughts and prayers go out to all those who are suffering during this devastating time.