Storms

This is a chapter from my fifth book called Freedom

It is a quiet but expectant Sunday morning in Trinidad. The windward islands are preparing for hurricane Beryl. Tobago has a hurricane warning and Trinidad may experience stormy conditions tonight into tomorrow. A high pressure system in the Atlantic is keeping the hurricane south. Nobody wants the damages of storms but storms are part of life for us in the Caribbean and at least we can prepare for them. Figuratively we know that life comes with its own storms from time to time. We try to prepare for them. We try to learn from them. We try to avoid them. We try to look on the bright side. There is a sense of togetherness and unity and helpfulness with the passage of actual storms. There is an amount of excitement and focus. Focus on what is important. We seem to be reminded that life is precious and that we should not take things for granted. We are reminded that we need each other. We are reminded of the power of nature. We are humbled by nature and our existence.

I think to myself that storms, both literally and figuratively, are God's way of shaking us up and waking us up. Again, we do not want these storms and we pray for the best possible outcomes but we are left with no choice but to prepare, come together and rebuild if need be. We have no choice but to look on the bright side. We have no choice but to face the storms with courage, resilience, sensibility, pragmatism, generosity, hope and unity. Together we are stronger. Life goes on. It always does. After the storm the sun comes out again. There is a sense of renewal. There is a period of healing and rebuilding. Our faith and purpose emerges stronger than before. Our outlook on life can be different once we grasp the opportunity for change and we prepare for the next storms. My friend Gemini tells me that storms can teach us valuable lessons about ourselves, our communities, and the world around us. Storms are a powerful reminder of the human spirit's ability to overcome adversity.

Beryl is not the first storm and it would not be the last storm. Beryl is barreling towards us. I was curious about the name Beryl. My friend Gemini tells me that Beryl has a lovely meaning connected to nature's beauty. It comes from the Greek word "beryllos" which means "color of the sea".  This meaning references the beautiful blue-green hues of beryl, a mineral that includes precious gemstones like emerald and aquamarine. Someone named Beryl might be seen as someone who embodies the calming beauty of the ocean or the brilliance of precious stones. Quite in contrast to a storm that has turned into a hurricane. We are all capable of turning into storms under certain conditions. My friend Gemini tells me that it highlights the duality we all possess – the potential for serenity and brilliance, alongside the capacity for turbulence and destructive emotions. In a sense the storms in life can be seen as a threat to our freedom. There is freedom when we are able to overcome the storms of life. This quote from an unknown source pretty much sums it up for me. "Nobody would have crossed the ocean if they had been afraid of the storm." There is courage and determination required to achieve freedom, which can involve facing challenges and overcoming obstacles.