Powerless

                                          Bebe Bird Weathering the Storm with Some Friends

We sat on our couch in Brooklyn,  winds howling furiously outside our windows.  The night dark.  Cold. Lights flickering.  Bebe Bird asleep-slumbering peacefully.  Footage of water ferociously tumbling into the Brooklyn Battery tunnel, a tunnel we had traveled through so many times, unfolded before our eyes.  Cars floating past the newscaster.  Winds still howling.  Fear of a tree falling onto our home, into our bedroom where Bebe Bird sleeps plays in my mind.  Thankfully that doesn't happen.  Grateful.  Friends texting, friends calling- their lights go out. They now sit in the dark.  Winds getting stronger.  We wait with baited breath.  Waiting for our lights to go, of what's to come.  Winds begin to die down.  Its 11pm.  The newscaster declares the worst is over.  Here on top of the Slope, where we dwell, we learn quickly that we were one of the lucky ones.  Aside from downed trees & fallen branches we had weathered Sandy .  The electric never lost. Our storefront's in tack. Our homes unscathed.  Lucky, we are.  

                            The Carousel in Dumbo where Bebe Bird Often Rides Surrounded by Water. 

Like most natural disasters we are often humbled and reminded on how powerless we really are- both literally and figuratively.  Thousands left without electric.  Homes fallen. Lives lost.  Spirits shaken. New York, shuts down. Transportation stops.  Wall Street, where power and wealth thrive, finds itself at a stand still. They too find themselves powerless against wrath of Sandy. Unfortunate circumstances find many and it feels as life has given some more than they can bear.  And then, the human spirit awakens something from with in, people find strength to keep on going, to pick up the pieces one day at a time and stories of heroism and bravery are made known.  The will to survive and to help our fellow humans bring purpose and power to the powerless..

And we weather the storm.

From all over the country people begin to flex their muscles and showcase their power by helping.  They help by donating clothes, diapers, toiletries and basic necessities we take for granted so often.  They help by organizing fundraisers.  By offering power cords for those with lost electric.  They help by cleaning the debris and providing footage for the world to see.  They help by providing food and warmth and time. They help by offering shelter and transportation.  They help bring awareness. And they help by doing. For, it is by doing that we become stronger-braver.

                               Compliments of the Good News Network-Photo taken in Hoboken, NJ  

If you wish to help here are some resources.  The power of *giving can make a difference!

1.  Red Cross

2.  Salvation Army

3.  New York Cares: For volunteering opportunities

4.  Covenant House: Aiding homeless children in the New York City area.  

5.  Carl V. Bini Memorial Fund: Hurricane Sandy Relieve Fund

*Giving can be through time, money or donations.