Boarded up.

I’m going to try to sneak this post in before the power goes out.  I’m all up in the Universe’s business right now – trying hard not to be but finding myself tensing up as I hear the wind build up and make all kinds of eerie noises and push the trees and leaves and everything else outside.

We are “sheltering in place”, as the authorities call it, for Hurricane Isaac.  We are prepared for power outages, the house is boarded up, we’ve secured everything as best we can, and now we ride it out and do our best to stay safe.  I have a sleeping cat by my side – we finally brought her in off the front porch – she loves to watch a good wind storm. You can read my additional musings about waiting for Isaac on my New Orleans blog here.

Staying is less hassle than going, and because this is a Category 1 storm (at least as of right now) we aren’t required to evacuate.  But wind is wind and rain is rain, and it’s almost harder to be here and listen to the wind and watch the plants turning sideways than it is to come home and see the aftermath but miss the process.

Already while I’ve been writing this the power’s gone off for a few minutes.  I thought that was it, and oh well – I didn’t get to post.  But miraculously it’s come back on so I have a couple more minutes at least of reprieve where I can be attached to my electronics!

I’m doing my best to stay out of this hurricane’s business.  To not sit here tensed up trying to get the wind to die down using the power of my thoughts.  Because goodness knows, what the hurricane does is certainly not my business.

There’s a saying in coaching – there are three kinds of business:  The universe or God’s business, other people’s business, and our own business.  Often when we’re in the middle of a lot of pain and suffering, it’s because we’re up in someone else’s business – wishing something would be different.  Wishing someone would act differently, or wishing it would stop raining, or whatever.  Trying to control something we really have no control over.

So I’m taking a lesson from the hurricane here.  It’s going to blow, rain, cause power outages, knock down trees, whatever it’s going to do, and it’s going to do it whether I sit here tensely holding my breath or whether I relax and breathe freely and stay present.

We are inside, safe, warm, loved and lucky. And we will hopefully be that way in the morning!

Time to sign off before the power goes out, and if you’re having any trouble staying out of the business of the weather or another person, see how it feels to let it go.  Let it be.  Relax and breathe.  Ahhh.  Stay safe, everyone!