Hurricane Ike was devastating to so many people, places and businesses. That’s a given. Whether on the TV, in the paper or just driving down your neighborhood streets, we’ve all witnessed the impact of this storm.Yet, when we’ve taken a moment to breathe, to stop and look and listen to what is going on around us there have been many really cool blessings bestowed and all because of the same Hurricane Ike. Or is it that–without power to turn on a TV, no A/C sending us outside to our yards, no internet to keep us tied to our computers, no gas to drive away in our cars–we can’t help but notice the good things in our lives?No doubt about it, we’ve had some of our own Meador family–our employees, our vendors, our clients and friends, suffer loss because of the storm. And, I in no way want to trivialize their pain. But I think it’s time to celebrate our blessings. …that giddy moment when you find the power to your home has been restored. …the opportunity to share with your neighbors as you rake their yard and yours, help to hold a rope while they run a chainsaw, or just sit outside and enjoy the gorgeous weather in the aftermath of the storm…the taste of an icy cold drink…the joy of opening your email and finding the well-wishes and concern of your friends and family around the country and around the world…the cul-de-sac impromptu BBQs as everyone cooks up anything and everything out of their freezers…the sound of kids actually playing outside–all day!…the relief when you find a store that has fresh milk and bread…the freedom of yards without fences…the kindness of more fortunate co-workers as they volunteer to babysit or offer their homes to those with less…the evidence of teamwork as everyone pulls together to move offices, realign work groups and do whatever necessary to get our company back to business…the exhilaration of finding gas at a corner store…no lines and no price hikes!…the simplicity of life without the gadgets of the 21st century I could take pages to describe some of the generosities I’ve witnessed from my Meador family–from Brian’s efforts to attend to our computer/communication tools before some of his own personal needs; that Gloria, because of spotty cell service, chose to sit at the worksite Monday morning to communicate the plan for recovery to the employees that couldn’t be reached by phone; Ben’s early words of encouragement, his calmness and commitment to recovery; accounting’s concern for our employees and quick action to make payroll; the impromptu creation of on-site daycare for staff; the sore muscles and tired backs of staffers who worked to box and move our entire corporate office within 48 hours; and when Katrina simply messaged from WalMart that she would be happy to pick up anything at the store for those of us who needed provisions. Some of these are such simple, small acts of kindness, some are over-the-top selfless examples and all are amazing to experience. Continue to pray for our internal employees, our clients, temps and candidates, our vendors and our friends who were in the path of Hurricane Ike–those of us with holes in our roofs, wind and water damage to our homes, trees on our garages, missing pets, fenceless yards, empty refrigerators, kids home from school and lots of mosquito bites! Continue to be patient with one another and our systems. Our infrastructure is particularly vulnerable to power surges, changes in organization and many, many factors beyond our control. We are all trying to do more with less and under less than ideal circumstances. Remember, it hasn’t even been a week since Ike, merely days.It has been an amazing past few days and I, for one, am so excited to see how we blow forward in the days to come! God Bless Texas and it’s resilient residents–nearly 100 of whom are Meador staff!
0 Responses to “After the Storm”