What can the notion of “Crisis” and “Loss” in this time of the devastating tornado of Moore, Oklahoma, teach us about gratitude and living in the moment?

The news today is filled with the sad story about the devastation of the tornado in Moore, Oklahoma. I lived in Miami in 1992, and I was in the direct path of Hurricane Andrew until, at the last moment, it veered south. After it hit, I visited friends in South Miami, and the streets were unidentifiable. It looked like a bomb was dropped. Some people theorized that Hurricane Andrew was not just a hurricane, but that there were tornadoes, as well, tearing up homes, cars, planes and trucks. Yes, airplanes were picked up and lifted to other locations. Even the National Hurricane Center went dark at one point, and lost its power.

My friends down there were in a “mental fog” for quite some time. A friend at the time was divorced woman with 3 sons under 8 years old, and she lived at other people’s homes for 8 weeks, until the water and power came back. She was one of the lucky ones that still had a home. Her 3 sons were quite affected by this.

I met a woman from Homestead, Florida at the Hurricane Relief Concert at a local stadium, where Gloria Estefan and other musicians donated their time to raise money. I asked her how her home was, and she told me it was no longer there, but she found her toilet hundreds of feet from her home’s foundation. Yes, toilets were lifted up and transported.

What happens to people in this crisis of devastation? Professionals call it Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. If they are dealing with friends or relatives who have been killed, there is a complex overlay of grieving on top of the “PTSD”.

What can moments like this teach us… those of us removed by watching it on TV? Perhaps this is a reminder to treasure the people in our lives, and to quote a wonderful author, Richard Carlson who passed away too soon, “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff”.