I Heard That Word Again Today…..Resilience
re·sil·ience
noun
1.
the power or ability to return to the original form, position, etc.,after being bent, compressed, or stretched; elasticity.
2.
ability to recover readily from illness, depression, adversity, or the like; buoyancy.
Two or three times a year, instead of my usual moping, I get down on my hands and knees and really scrub my kitchen floor. I scrub and scrub, polishing as I go. It gives me time to think and exercise my arms. (wax on, wax off – you know…)
That was my planned housekeeping activity for yesterday and as I scrubbed, I turned on the TV to hear what was happening in the world.
And of course, on the news they are discussing the aftermath of the terrible tornado in Moore, OK and this comes, next in line, in a series of terrible, heart wrenching community disasters.
There have almost been too many disasters to bear…
Except that word – resilience – keeps coming to my mind. The heroes in these disasters are amazing. Rescue workers put others before themselves, saving lives and giving aid because it is the right thing to do. Neighbors help neighbors, and almost all of them say they will rebuild.
Resilience – the ability to recover, against all odds. Thriving in the face of adversity.
These people aren’t concerned about their homes and possessions; the things they have lost, they are concerned about finding and connecting with their family, and friends, and finding their pets. Maybe that’s what makes us resilient in the face of these terrible disasters. We know deep down that our possessions are unimportant and it’s our relationships that count.
Another thing I noticed about these resilient people – they knew what to do! They had planned ahead, even going as far as purchasing motorcycle helmets to protect themselves from flying debris.
They prepared ahead of time and had a plan.
Get in the bathtub.
Cover yourself with a mattress.
Go underground.
Get to the inside of the building.
Listen to the news and act.
It also occurs to me that there are many men, and women, who have and are, serving for us in the military. They put aside their homes and families for a time to protect us and give us freedom. They give their lives for this cause. Resilience is a part of their daily lives too. Thank you for your service!
My preparations will continue. I hope that I will prove to be resilient when it’s my turn.
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