Welcome to my long-awaited first blog post!

My daughter never sleeps as well as she does when it is storming. If you know us personally, you know that she does not stop; her energy is immeasurable. If I breathe too loudly on a given night, she will be wide awake. It’s different with storms, though. It doesn’t matter if it’s booming thunder and a light show, she will snooze happily. It’s to the point that my husband calls she and I “Morticia and baby Wednesday”, because I also am a fan of sleeping though storms, given there is no immediate danger. We joke about her being this way, but the reason she is this way is simple– she feels safe. I have never perpetuated fear in my home when a storm rolls in and I never will. I practice preparedness, vigilance, and awareness.

My dad has taught me many things in life, but one of my favorite life lessons from ol’ daddy-o is you can be vigilant of a situation, without letting raw fear control you in that moment. I learned at a very early age that storms are powerful, but I asked my dad a ton of questions on the subject….you know, the never-ending toddler “but why?”. He not only prepared me, but educated me on various potential emergencies, both weather related and not. I take that seriously, because that has transcended into adulthood for me. I take pride in being able to remain calm in situations that require a sense of urgency– by myself, with my family, in a professional situation, and beyond. His answers to my questions kick-started my interest learning more about weather patterns. My husband doesn’t even check the weather anymore, because he knows I’ll tell him if a weather event is predicted to head our way.

Every time a storm is brewing, people take to the internet and things get interesting. I see it every single time. Most commonly, the phrases I see are “I’m so scared.” “I won’t be able to sleep tonight.” “What do I do?” I’ve even had clients come to me for therapy, due to their intense astrophobia. I feel for these individuals, because although I do not consider myself afraid of storms, I do have other fears, and I know what it is like to feel that you have no control in a moment of fear.

What perpetuates fear? In my opinion, the unknown– the uncontrollable. There is not one thing an individual can do to stop a storm or tornado or hurricane from ripping through, and that can be frightening. It can be especially frightening for people who struggle with relinquishing control in other aspects of their life. If this sounds like you, I wish you inner peace, because that can come in short supply. I also offer up two points for your consideration (even though no one asked for my thoughts on the subject).

1. What do you need to feel more comfortable when you know a storm is about to be in your vicinity? If you make peace with the fact that the storm is inevitable, focus on what you CAN control. Do you and/or others in your household have a safety plan for potential environmental emergencies? Do you have a room or central location to meet? Do you worry about your animals? Are you worried about personal belongings? I urge you to not be complacent in your fear, but really take time to recognize WHAT it is you’re afraid of in severe weather situations.
2. Next is the parenthood related piece, since I am now [finally] getting into writing about my experiences in parenthood. If you know you are miserable in your fear of something, why in the world would you teach your child that fear, as well? I can see how one would assume they are doing their child a favor in thinking “well, if they know the danger, then they can be safe”. That thinking is understandable, because we as parents want to do everything we can to keep our babies safe, regardless of their age. However, remember, preparedness, awareness, and vigilance can exist without letting fear control one’s life. Let’s take accountability in challenging blatant fear for the sake of our children. They see us. They see how we handle situations. They hear what we say to our spouses and partners. If we can’t display what we want them to exhibit, that is ineffective.

My dad didn’t teach me fear and I cannot thank him enough for that. Hopefully my “baby Wednesday” thanks me some day for the same thing. To all of you who were scared last night, again, I wish you peace and clarity on this topic. Personally, I feel like it isn’t talked about enough, as if we’re supposed to manage our fears on our own. We are not meant to be alone in this life. If this blog passage can positively impact just one person, I will consider myself successful. I am not here to “talk” at you or judge. I am here as a support, to allow you to consider other ways of thinking and maybe challenge thinking patterns that are unhealthy. This is applicable beyond severe weather events.

Thank you for reading this much, if you’ve followed along on this post. I would say I’m sorry for being 2 years behind on starting this blog, but I’m not. My delay was because I was navigating my first years of motherhood. I’ve been able to be present with my daughter in a way that I know has been a privilege. With that, I have a vault of topics and content and I look forward to writing for you all! Take care, love, and be loved.