As residents of “Hurricane Country”, our area usually makes the news at least once a year during a major storm. We know how the media can exaggerate a weather-related disaster. But when Hurricane Sandy hit the northeast, we quickly learned that this time, the media wasn’t exaggerating.
Like you, we watched with concern and heartbreak as Hurricane Sandy took lives, started fires, flooded subways, threw roller coasters and boardwalks into the sea, and created billions of dollars of damage. In the midst of all of this trauma and upheaval, I noticed an unlikely theme: gratitude.
In times of crisis or adversity, people realign their priorities and reflect on what is truly important to them. A bride-to-be who had not counted on including Sandy on her guest list told the New York Times: “While last week I was tormenting myself with minutia like making sure I had the perfect flower arrangements or the best song list, all of that has since faded away….knowing those closest to me are O.K. (or eventually will be O.K.) and seeing them surrounding us on our special day, is all of a sudden the only thing that matters in this experience.”
Those in the midst of the devastation as well as those of us safely removed from it, were expressing gratitude for the things we usually take for granted: shelter, running water, electricity, gas, food, clothes, first responders and utility workers, to name a few. Even those with no electricity or flooded homes were giving thanks that their houses were still standing or that their loved ones were still alive.
There were countless heartwarming stories of those who used the storm as an opportunity to serve others in need:
- The Mayor of Newark invited constituents into his home to charge their phones and watch movies, and get a free lunch.
- An East Village doctor offered free medical care.
- A Staten Island woman distributed 40 pizzas to hungry residents.
- Restaurants in Lower Manhattan offered up free food to New Yorkers during the power outage.
- Many of those who still had electricity offered up their power plugs so passers by could charge their phones and contact loved ones.
- A New Jersey resident cranked up his gas grill to make hot coffee for the neighbors and emergency workers each morning.
- Workers at New York University Medical Center evacuated the powerless, flooded hospital one patient at a time, with nurses manually pumping neonatal care infants on respirators. They successfully kept all of them alive.
- Good Samaritans rescued dogs, cats, and humans. Perhaps the most remarkable rescue story was that of the victim who stole a coat from a stranger’s house and left a note because he thought he was dying of hypothermia.
As those shattered by the storm work to rebuild their lives and as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, it’s a great reminder to hold fast to an attitude of gratitude. From that morning cup of Joe to the veterans who protect our freedoms, we have many reasons to be thankful. Throughout the month, the Matchmaker Team is sharing things we are grateful for on Facebook and Twitter. As a wise soul once said: “Give thanks for a little and you will find a lot.”
Invite gratitude along this weekend,
~Bob
P.S. If you want to show your support for those affected by Sandy, here are some ways to help from the media, from a mom, and from The White House.
