Happy anniversary charlie

These are our thoughts feelings and experiences. We accept responsibility for them. We understand your journey may be different. We honor and respect that. Wishing you effortless joy. Eloise and Jake

Do not take anything for granted today. Life can change in a moment, And although change is always good, you can wonder if you could have enjoyed the last moment just a little bit better. 5 years ago today, we sat in Florida watching a category 2 hurricane heading for tampa. Not a big deal to us long term hurricane watchers.. but in a instant,it turned. and headed directly towards us and 20 minutes later we were in the midst of a category 4 hurrincae and our lives would never be the same again.

We can celebrate all of the good that came from that destruction, but our human minds will always remember what was.

Here is a letter I have written to those good friends:

Despite moving away from Charlotte County, our hearts will be forever connected to this area, to each of you and to the memories we have shared.
On this anniversary of Hurricane Charley: and event that cemented an already existing bond we transform the remnants of anything negative into a celebration of what has transpired since then.
Hurricanes: It’s about warm water heating air and moving energy upwards up and away from (almost like a cleansing). When that happens and it clashes with higher cooler air which inspires wind and rain. (The bigger the clash, the more intense the wind and the heavier the rains) Wind clears out, rains wash away, and what is left is just the earth.
In life we have issues; that heat up, and try resolve on their own. But often in that process there comes a clash with cold: with apathy and with stagnant lack of movement. And then we have crisis. The crisis is a storm. And the bigger the crisis: the bigger the storm. Storms bring with it wind and rain, and sometimes destruction. But in that destruction comes opportunities to grow to change to be better.
Hurricane Charlie caused destruction. Then it brought opportunities to change to grow to rebuild better. It left the earth, and we are the earth. We are what is left. We are what matters. We are the foundation from which to grow from.
I think there is a lesson in that. Perhaps if we learned to clean up and clean out our lives on a regular basis, we wouldn’t need so much wind, or clashes or destruction. If we cleaned up our lives, and resolved our issues actively and passionately, we wouldn’t need Mother Nature to come in and do it for us.
Hurricane Charlie was a monumental event. We weren’t expecting it, or ready for it but we needed it. It was good, it did its job and now it’s gone except in our memories. Now we can make our lists of things we will never take for granted again.
For us at the top of the list: is the raw bar, the harbor, our friends, and the reality that life can change in a moment. We commit on this 5 year anniversary to stop everyday and say thank you for what we have. We commit to using our senses to see and hear and taste and smell and feel, as much as possible, for tomorrow it may not be the same. Everyday we will ask what we can do to grow, to resolve, to release to let go of. Maybe it won’t protect us from another hurricane, but we are thinking that if one comes we will be better prepared.
When we do this exercise we will remember you, we will love you and we will pray for all of you who have a memory with us. You are in our heart, and we are in yours. We will never feel alone, and you will never be anything but loved, and honored and celebrated.

Happy anniversary Charlie.....