Hurricane Sandy Resolutions

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy there are numerous “teachable moments” to share with our children. Mr. Charlie Harary, in his article “Hurricane Sandy: The Aftermath” shares numerous lessons to be learned. He also makes four resolutions:

1. Every day, notice one thing in my “normal” life and be grateful for it.
2. Dare to be great. Every day, set one goal beyond my perceived limitations and go for it. Push to see how much potential I really have.
3. Each day, hug each kid, tight. Pick a family member to call to say I love you.
4. The next time I have an opportunity to give, I will just give.

This is an impactful exercise to practice with our children. “What did I learn from the past weeks of Hurricane Sandy? What will I now do differently?”

With the Thankgiving season approaching, Mr. Harary's first resolution hits home. He shares a story, which will resonate with those of us who have grandparents who are Holocaust survivors.

“I remember when I was 16 years old. I was home one Saturday night with nothing to do, moping around, feeling sorry for myself when my grandparents came over.

'What's the matter?' my grandmother asked.

'I'm having a bad night, my plans unraveled and I have nothing to do,' I kvetched.

My grandmother, who at my age was in Auschwitz, commented, 'Boy, what I would have given to have nothing to do when I was your age.'

Enough said. Checkmate. Perspective gained.”

We spend so much time yearning for objects we do not even need, when life is normal. We do not appreciate what we have until it is lost. Each morning can and should be filled with the realization that we should be grateful for the normal, everyday things. When we awaken, we first say “Modeh Ani”- thanking Hashem for giving us life. Do we ever stop for a moment to be grateful for that “normal” waking up? When we teach our children the Beracha of “Asher Yatzer” to say when they leave the bathroom, (as thanks to G-d who created their body with their “plumbing” working correctly), that is exactly what we mean. Only those who, G-d forbid, lose that ability realize the importance of thanking G-d for the ability to go to the bathroom.  Even when saying 100 berachot a day, we can focus our attention and think about how grateful we are. In Hebrew, gratitude is “hakarat hatov'” - recognizing the good. It is a challenge to recognize the good we already have.   “Every day, notice one thing in my 'normal' life and be grateful for it.”

Another resolution I would make, stemming from our Sandy experiences, is related to a column I wrote last year about a day to “disconnect.” When we lost power at my home, we all gathered together in the same room with mattresses on the floor and read stories by flashlight. We spent more time together in the next week- undistracted by television, e-mail, phones and the other distractions in our lives. This was “quality time.” Aimee Lee Ball, in her New York Times article “Hurricane Sandy Reveals a Life Unplugged” concurred that, “But the storm provided a rare glimpse of life lived offline. It drove some children crazy, while others managed to embrace the experience of a digital slowdown. It also produced some unexpected ammunition for parents already eager to curb the digital obsessions of their children.” (She contined to add that Michelle Obama shared that her technology rule during the week for her children is no TV, cellphones or computers during the week except for homework.) “It's like coming off of drugs. There's a 48 hour withdrawal until they're not asking about the TV every other minute. The storm offered a nostaligic return to childhood amusements that don't require batteries.” (Although, it is interesting to note that Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath were the most instagrammed news event ever, with more than 800,000 pictures posted). Hurricane Sandy reminded me to resolve, “Every day, make some time to disconnect and be with my children and family.”