Forces of Nature

We live in Oklahoma, so we're not strangers to the tornado sirens or the storm warnings that take over our favorite tv shows. I've never been that afraid of storms. Well...a few times a particularly violent storm has sent me to the bathtub with my pillow. I don't underestimate the power of storms, but I do think I suffer from that "it won't happen to me" mentality. Most of the time, I just have faith that my house and my God will protect me from the storms. How many times have I survived the tornados that come sweeping through the plains? How many times have I escaped harm or even a scratch? Why should this time be any different? I had become desensitized to the threat of storm danger.

Then I had twins. This affected my illusion of safety for two reasons: One, because the odds are against having twins. Anytime you're pregnant, people like to joke about how you might be having twins, but you don't worry because you know you won't. What are the odds? Hellin's Law states that before the advent of fertility methods, the natural occurrence of having twins is 1 in 90 live births. Not gonna happen, right?
     But then it did.  Beating the odds awakened a new fear of other, less wonderful unlikelihoods, like tornado devastation.

Two, it affects my fear because I now have two children who matter more than I do. Not that I didn't value my own life before, but I just didn't imagine having to face death or what that would mean. It's not something I thought about. As a mother, my job is to protect the babies, make sure that they keep living. I've never had a job this important before. I have to make sure that I keep living too so that I can fulfill my promise to God.

Last year on May 22, a tornado hit Joplin, MO and destroyed 20% of the city, killing 160 people. I can't imagine having my home, my city blown away. What must that feel like? I bet those people have a deeper understanding for the important things in life. I hope the ones who lost their families can find some kind of peace somehow. I hope the survivors love a little deeper now and squeeze their families a little tighter before they go to work in the mornings.

In the days that followed the Joplin horror, there were threats of another similar, "even worse" tornado coming to Muskogee. All day long, the news anchors were warning us, giving us survival tips, and putting the fear of God deep into our souls with images of what was left of Joplin and clips of the desperate cries and vacant eyes of its residents.

Our air conditioning went out that day. Rodney was at work. I was a little jittery. The babies were not yet walking, and I wondered how I was going to make sure they weren't blown away from me if we were hit. I had those snuggie harnesses that strap the baby to your body. Now, which baby will I strap? How horrible. I can't choose. I started packing a first aid and survival kit based on the tips from the news. I put formula and nursery water in the bathroom. Diapers, blankets, pillows. What will all of this matter if our house is blown apart? No preparation can save us. Still, I kept my shoes on. I dressed the babies well for protection. We were so hot. We were sweating and sweating. The babies were scoot-crawling all over the floor like wounded soldiers. My wild imagination is no friend of mine in times like these. But no storm came.

Last month, our neighbors had a storm shelter built onto their house. It's reinforced by steel and cement and holds nine people. When I saw that shelter, I felt hopeful that they would let us squeeze our babies in with them in time of need: "Here, take our babies!" Who would refuse two innocent and sweet children? Even if they were the 10th and 11th people, stack them on your heads, people, please! Maybe they might even let the rest of the Garlands in too....

Just the other day, the neighbor came over and gave us a key to the shelter in case we ever needed it. Thank God. I feel like I need to make some grand gesture of some kind to show them how grateful I am to have that peace of mind.

God bless our sweet neighbors.