Sandy

I have two sisters who live up north.  On lives in New Jersey and one lives in New York.  They were both, in different ways, affected by Hurricane Sandy. My older sister in New York lives on Long Island, and though she never lost power, she has been without her phone for a while now.  My younger sister in New Jersey did lose her power, and a tree fell into her house.  Thankfully, her, her husband, and their three small children were all safe and came out of the storm more inconvenienced than anything else.

In this day and age, having no power means more than not having lights and heat.  For my kids, being without the television and internet would be the end of the world.  I mean, what else is there to do if they can't play their online bubble games all day long?

I remember when I was little and Hurricane Gloria hit Long Island, where I lived.  My parents and us kids (all five of us!) spent the day in the basement, amusing ourselves with board games and Barbie dolls. Back then, we didn't have iPads and laptops to amuse us, which probably made it a little easier on our parents.  I can't even imagine having to deal with my kids if they couldn't have access to Facebook.

I also remember when the storm was over, how exciting it was to go outside and see the fallen trees and debris everywhere.  I think that if I were to have lived through that an adult, with children of my own, I would have been more worried than excited, which I am sure is how my sisters were feeling.

And probably still are.