A New Day

I’m baaaack! Having spent more than a few years away from this blog, and hopefully having grown and learned something about life since then, I decided it is time to return to writing this online journal. Many of you have heard and read the story that follows from my post on facebook, but I want to never forget the sense of urgency and transience the experience of receiving a warning of an incoming missile gave me that day. I also am posting here some of the very best of my photos from the beautiful island of Kauai. My hope is to stay curious, alert and appreciative and to spread love and goodness whenever I can.

The day began with a plan to hike to a nearby overlook of the ocean . Pa and I had decided to go on our own and let the rest of the family catch up with us a bit later. We walked past the fancy hotel and then the public beach and made our way to the beginning of the trail . The local chickens , seen everywhere on Kauai , have a protected nesting ground amongst the trees along the way. It was a perfect morning and I was thinking of how I would tell the kids about the things I was seeing and bring them back to share it. Then my phone erupted in that alarm sound usually signifying an amber alert. But the message read that a missile was “INBOUND,” and that people should “SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER.”
“THIS IS NOT A DRILL,” Incredulous and with a sense that I had known this was going to happen, I had one thought uppermost in my mind – to return to where the rest of my family was and be with them whatever was coming . Other thoughts raced as I ran and messaged Ruthie and she sent texts for us to “Hurry!”
Pa’s steady pace quickened as I ran and urged him to please run faster too. The people we passed were either strangely calm , or as one young couple we passed, running in a panic with no knowledge of where to go. When they asked us for information I had none to give. Another lady said something about if it were real there would be other alarms sounding . But the text had said “This is not a drill!” When we finally reached the condo, Ruthie , Cam, Artie and Julee , Orson and Freddie were outside the condo waiting for us to return . They had at first decided to load up in the car , but then with Julee’s thoughtfulness changed plans to stay at the condo and shelter in the upstairs tiled and windowless bathroom . In the process , however they had locked themselves out of the condo – Pa may have had both keys . I broke down a bit at the point of arriving to their sides. The fact that this scenario was not unreal , but happening and the destruction of this beautiful island and potentially a nuclear war could be imminent was good enough cause for me to say what I did , but I realized later how I don’t want to have ill will regardless of whether it is deserved or not dominate me however long or short it is. I want to be a voice of love and I want others to be stronger because of that love. I am thankful for this life , this world , these moments .
Our retreat to the bathroom – which was , as Julee later explained less likely to be under rubble if the building collapsed, as it was on the top floor, it had no windows , but both water and a toilet if we needed either, and was big enough to accommodate all of us. It also may have allowed destruction to hit us fast, as it was on the top floor , and we could have been closer to heaven or the hereafter sooner . Food and water was gathered, and the little ones calmed, although it must have been confusing especially for 4 year old Orson. Ruthie, Cam Artie and Julee were so wonderful and it was a great comfort knowing that whatever came we were together. Pa , as he said he would always do in a similar situation called Geoffrey – as he knew our son would have the best information on the veracity of the situation before anyone else. And he did . We heard back from him that it was a false alarm before our phones began their announcements of the same.

Life for the rest of the day was subdued and our thoughts reflective but not without some humor. We have had the great pleasure of watching beautiful sunrises and sunsets, of seeing whales playing in the distant waves, of riding the waves ourselves on little boogie boards , of observing and smelling the most fancy and fragrant blossoms, and of sharing meals of fresh fruit and local seafood . We do not deserve all of this goodness. We did have a toast at dinner tonight with glasses filled with Apocalypse IPA beer. The sunset lasted an extra long time and the colors seemed to shine even more than ever.