The carousel is a telling image of the broader picture in terms of the fallout from the storm. We go around in circles for most of the day, fulfilling necessary tasks and generally being productive…but what happens when the carousel stops turning? (and floods?). Here at Mindful, we write a lot about the meaning of slowing down life, and intentionally stopping to take in what is happening around us. The interruption caused by Hurricane Sandy, however, provides a very mother-nature-imposed version of being mindful. Moreover, the storm has left many, many people’s lives in a state of ruin and the clean-up efforts are daunting to say the least. A day is no longer a day like it used to be. The carousel stops. If you’re on the east coast or are affected by the storm in some way (maybe you have family members you’re concerned about), we want to hear from you. How have you had to stop during the storm? How has having to stop affected your daily life? Maybe you ran out of supplies and met a neighbor for the first time. Or maybe you’ve had to do things this week that you haven’t had to do in awhile, like light a candle or speak to family members you haven’t heard from in awhile. Either way, we want to know how Sandy is making you stop for awhile. If you’re looking to help out in the relief efforts be sure to vet the organization you want to donate to. You can vet them by going to places like Giving Alliance, Guidestar or Charity Navigator which examine cost-efficiency of responding organziations.
