Sheltered by God's Love

Typhoon Glenda was expected to arrive in a few hours. I could not sleep. I was disturbed by the sound of roofs getting ripped and the whining wind. I watched the branches of our 40 year-old narra tree getting  tossed back and forth by the vicious wind, shedding leaves and branches. Nanay's flowering plants blooming in the second floor terrace garden did not stand a chance. The potted plants with little yellow flowers swayed ungracefully until the the leaves and flowers were mangled.  The potted red roses lost their flowers; the rest of the potted plants rolled in the staircase. Nanay could not bear to see her orchids getting bashed so she took them in. A few stems were already broken but most of the flowers are intact.

Then the power supply went out. I tried to sleep but the roaring sound on our roof top  was getting louder and corrugated iron were flying from everywhere. I prayed for our safety. I no longer cared for the roof nor for whatever else this typhoon would damage. I just prayed for our family to be safe. 

Then the calmness after the storm came. Looking at the sky, I could not believe how calm it was, as if nothing happened. Looking down, leaves and branches covered the roads. The trees that made it through the storm stood proud despite the foliage loss. We did lose the entire top floor roof. The entire roof of our third floor was blown away by winds. I am grateful that it hurt no one as the strong winds hurled it across the road down below. I am grateful that we have family and friends, all safe, helping each other fix the mess Glenda has left.  What I do realize is that calamities like this bring out the goodness in people. The spirit of bayanihan lives. People will come to fix our roof and to fix our water installation probably damaged by a debris hurled around by Glenda's violent wind. 

Despite our best efforts to see the sun after the storm, we can't close our eyes to those who were harmed and those who lost their loved one.  Our roof can be repaired. Nanay's garden can be replaced. What we lost, we could regain; but for others, this may not be so.

To them, I share a prayer, for now. Hopefully, I can do something else.