In The Eye of The Storm
On St. Croix, we missed the wrath of Hurricane Dorian.
As you know, our brothers and sisters in The Bahamas were not as lucky. Hurricane Dorian showed them no mercy at all.
A friend of mine lost a cousin in Hurricane Dorian. She drowned – she was only 24.
“What we have seen in the past few days has been sublime in its horror,” says Erica Moiah James in an article for the New York Times “We need everyone’s help and kindness,” writes Erica. “We need tarps, tents, sleeping bags, batteries, flashlights, heavy equipment, generators, chain saws, electrical workers, and people capable of rebuilding communication towers and homes. We need nonperishable food, wipes, adult and children’s diapers, bug spray.”
Here’s a link to organizations that are coordinating hurricane relief efforts.
Although Dorian spared my island, I’ll never forget how lonely I felt as the skies darkened. Dorian was only a storm when it passed over us. I was home alone with my sick Mom. As light rain fell, I wondered what I would do if strong winds ripped the roof off my house and exposed me and Mom to the elements.
Climate change is no stranger to my people. We are on the front lines. Dorian, Maria, Irma, Hugo – the names of monster hurricanes linger in our memories long after the storms and camera crews have gone. We think about what life was like before and after each storm.
I dedicated a chapter to climate change in my book, Meditations Across The River because I felt I had no choice. The reality of climate change is staring my people in the face. While working on my book, Hurricanes Irma and Maria demolished the Virgin Islands and other island nations. We have not fully recovered. There’s still so much work ahead of us.
Climate change is one of the great issues of our generation. It’s an urgent human and civil rights issue. We cannot ignore it and we cannot be silent.
We can all help in some way. Even before Dorian formed in the Atlantic, my friend Maria, a local activist on St. Croix was challenging folks to commit to planting at least ten trees. She’s ambitious. Not sure I’ll plant ten trees this year, but I’ll do my best to plant at least five.
There are dozens of ways to make a difference and I shared a few of them in my book. These are challenging times. Take care of yourself emotionally, spiritually and physically. Ask for help if you need it. Offer help when you can. We are not meant to fight this battle alone. Have to run, but I would love to hear from you. If you write, I’ll respond as soon as I can.
Still available for spiritual readings if you need one.
All my love.
James