Dear Irma,
Dear Irma,
I am writing you 
to say that you tried to bully Floridians but we are tougher than you thought. I actually had a health related blog topic about statin drugs planned for this week, but I felt that addressing your poor behavior was a priority. First, let me take a moment and acknowledge your strength, size and beauty. But in the end, that’s all you had going for you. We evacuated and returned home. Many friends stayed behind and weathered your fury. Numerous folks have been without power for almost a week. Some friends were separated by low-lying flooding and had to extend their time away from home. And unfortunately, a few acquaintances were not so lucky. Your violent temper created so much damage that their house may not be salvageable. Today, they have no place to call home.
True confession Irma: I am an avid listener of NPR. Because of this, I am acutely aware of what goes on around the world. I can tell you that there are many impoverished countries reporting major weather events with thousands and thousands dying. We Americans barely take notice, too concerned with our own lives. But, I know what you and your friends are up to, even when many Americans may not realize your gang’s devastating world wide path of destruction. You are no longer welcome here.
Irma, I give you credit. You were definitely an effective female Goliath. I could see evidence of your handy work that had nothing to do with the weather. Your bullying ways certainly brought the worst out in some people: stealing gasoline, pushing old people and young mothers around, looting, humor that was in poor taste, misdirected anger, and entitlement behavior.
But I’m going to tell you the same thing I tell my daughters about bullies. Stand up to them. Be kind and always protect the weak. Stand by your friends and make good choices. Returning anger with more anger will usually escalate, not improve, a situation. Use this as a last resort. Whenever possible, choose to show goodness, because faith, love, hope, perseverance, and resilience always win.
And guess what Irma? Once again, these golden rules ring true. You tried your best. But us Floridians waited you out. You ran out of steam. We persevered and we will continue to persevere long after you are gone. We help each other here. In fact, our communities became stronger, more bonded. Some of our neighbors did not have electricity. We offered them our homes, our showers, and a hot meal. Some neighbors have no home or belongings. We provided them meals, clothes, and a temporary roof over their head. And you can rest easy Irma, because we will help them restore their homes too if we can.
Irma, no one wanted you here, but I would like to thank you for one thing. You made us get our priorities in order. We got the message. Be better prepared. Help one another. And, if you can be anything in this world, choose to be kind.
Respectfully,
Mindful Medicine Girl ?
*I want to credit artist Gina Fote for this watercolor rendering of hurricane Irma*
