Lighting a Candle for Safety and Recovery in Texas...May each have rest and be assured of a brighter, better time

Somehow I did not tune into the news of the Houston flooding in a timely manner to see the very disturbing video of the highways and land flooded beyond what anyone imagined. The main news that most people were safe and being rescued by others was heartening. I watched a short piece now of the Governor of Texas saying things were going well given the pressures, because Texans were helping Texans and receiving help from the National Guard and others around the country. The news of 18 having died during the flooding however was sad news indeed.

A police officer who had served 34 years was caught in the waters while in his patrol car heading to work.  That I realized 'brought it home' that the dangers of water can be illusive, not always known and able to be avoided particularly if one is out and about. There is no dodging water coming one's way, even in a car, and if it's high or fast, the chances for being taken in are high. I actually know someone who long ago got caught on a back road due to a detour and faced some water over the road. Feeling they had little choice, they ventured through it and felt some pull I believe. They thankfully made their way to safety and to their destination where one passenger was in a grand performance.

"The show must go on" is usually the case and they made that one. Sometimes the storms and weather close a theater, a town and a bigger city down. More preparedness for hunkering down (with some food supplies, clean drinking water and the basics, even a good bucket or two for using tub water to flush a toilet and flashlights or whatever warm clothing and more one can have, the better. I think younger families with children should make an effort to network to have good childcare and backups, supplies and whatever kind of networking going on as part of their everyday plans.

Practice can come in handy when help is needed for any age group to care and transport people or supplies. Of course it's fairly easy to think of this when the storms are not at our doors, even if it is getting late. But the more we can all take note and make reasonable plans to check on neighbors and assist with efforts to grow networks the better. Lots of good ideas are on the book by Adam Brock called Change Here Now. The weather and even politics are spurring us to pay attention and so change is in the air, for better or worse. May as well try to make it a poslitive experience as we can.