Nature holds no accountability or remorse.

Nature is destructive, carrying so much emotion in the wake of it's path. It affects us in so many ways, too.... from repairs on a home or car, to the clean up of trees and debris, to the ultimate tragedy of losing people we love.

When I woke up at 5:30 this morning I heard the storm. It seemed to get louder within just a few minutes and I thought I even heard hail hitting the house. I had to get ready quickly, so I hurried into the shower. It was still raining here at about 9am. I didn't think much of it until I got online and started reading the headlines. It was alarming, to say the least. I clicked on the news in Franklin, TN, to see what had happened there, and felt somewhat relieved that there was only one headline in regards to an injury. No name, but it was on a road that one of my friend's family lives on. Well, later today, my sister called to check on us and see what it was like here. Then she tells me it was the mother of one of her dear friends, and that she died at the hospital. I just stopped breathing for a second. I didn't want to believe it. Anytime I read the headlines, I feel a sense of sadness that there are tragedies happening to "people", but hearing that one of these events has actually happened to someone I know brings a strong ache to my heart. I know that many will relate to this, especially with the number of deaths this wave of storms and tornadoes has taken. I am so very thankful that all my family and friends are safe. I feel guilty, in a way, writing that because I know others are dealing with the pain of their losses. I truly hope that those who were not as lucky get the support and strength that they are going to need, from those around them.

When I talked to my best friend tonight, she was telling me about the video footage she had watched of a tornado touching down near a mall in Alabama. I found the video online and was struck by the sheer magnitude and power of it's force, and also of the fear/emotion of the person recording it. Words can not adequately describe the mix of emotions I felt when trying to imagine what that person was experiencing. Then to think of the people that were in it's path at the time... it's devastating. The worst thing about it, is that there's nothing to prevent this destruction from happening. We can only try our best to protect ourselves and those physically closest to us at the very moment when it strikes.

How do you blame nature, something that holds no responsibility? There is no recourse to take, either... no human to point the finger at. Nothing but the idea that Nature will be cruel from time to time. It seems the only option in getting through things like this is to help the people who need it, however we can,  in the aftermath of such overwhelming destruction and loss. It just doesn't feel like enough.