Mother Nature is my home girl...

Greetings!
Well, Mother Nature just kicked our butts BIG time, but there are postives. While we are unable to fulfill orders due to no power or water for approximately the next week, our family is together and SAFE. Passersby marvel at the damage our property sustained. Sure, a giant cottonwood tree fell on and crushed our work van. Sure, the entire tree along with other limbs and a pine tree are blocking the driveway. Sure, our windows were blasted out of the front of our house and our blending building. And, yah, there is debris (lots of glass, etc.) in both buildings. And, while we really enjoyed the enclosed patio, there is a bit more of a breeze. Okay, so what are some positives besides being together and safe?

Our son can reach the basketball hoop now that it is bending completely backwords. The tree that took out our van missed our house. The tree we thought would take out our house didn't even budge. We will have a lot more firewood. We won't have to mow for a while. Oh, and weeding is a bit less important or necesssary at the moment. Our 130-yr-old building is still standing. Our 93-yr-old home is also still standing. We discovered a mulberry tree we did not know we had. Mother Nature apparently approved of our playground equipment. It is surrounded by tree limbs, some huge, but the equipment appears to be unscathed. We have great neighbors. People we did not even know stopped to help clean up today. Our dog made it through the storm without a scratch. She's tough!

So, while we could focus on the damage and the amount of serious work we have ahead of us, we are focusing on the positives. We know our business is being negatively impacted by this turn of events, but we cannot control Mother Nature. We can only control our response to the situation. So, while we move tree limbs, cut up wood, pick up glass inside and out, and live without power and water, we will remind each other everyday how lucky we are. We could have lost it all. We could have lost each other.

A BIG thank you to Mother Nature for reminding us that our family is the most important aspect of our existance. Sometimes I think we forget. I know I do.

Peace.
Kori