Brave

I do not consider myself to be a brave person. But I supposed it is true that I am good in a crisis. Truthfully, the only way I survive in moments of uncertainty is by communicating constantly. Talking through the situation at hand helps me keep perspective, helps me stay grounded, and helps me reassure myself while reassuring others that everything is going to be alright.

Hurricane Sandy has landed in New York and seems determined to do as much damage as possible. In the midst of her destruction, our only connections to home are our cell phones and Facebook. Thank God for Facebook.

The following entries represent day two of being trapped in New York thanks to Sandy:

"it's finally raining. NYC is a ghost town. We are packing up to switch hotels. I'd be lying if I said I am not scared. But I'm keeping a brave face/voice for Kirk & my parents who are scared to death at home."

"The rain has arrived. There are something like 200 Starbucks in Manhattan & every one we've seen is closed. McDonalds too. But we found a deli with a Chinese buffet, a salad bar & some lovely Latino men making sandwiches so we stocked up and came back to the hotel. Tomorrows flights are now canceled too so... Kirk's teacher sent homework. Please say some prayers for my uncle Donald & aunt Eleanor who are riding out the storm at a trucks top in jersey. More later! WE MISS YOU STL!"

"Watch KSDK tonight. Just got interviewed by Casey Nolen..."

"Seems the flooding around us is getting really bad but we have no evidence of that here. Jersey has it the worst. Again, it just looks like a rainy night in Midtown. The lights flickered a bit but for now, we still have power. I'm taking comfort in being in a hotel right next door to the fire department. 

If we don't answer texts right away, it's because we are preserving the battery for calls to

 our parents & Ed. Kirk now has a stomach bug. Poor kid has been throwing up all night. I think it's half nerves & half crappy chinese from the back of a turkish deli (or something like that).

Thanks for the prayer & the calls & the texts. And thank God for Facebook making our world seem smaller right now & St. Louis feel a little closer.

Love you all!

 "

"

the deli across the street is still open but the streets are pretty bare."