(Note to readers: Because of Sandy’s powerful impact, I wanted to share this blog with you now. Part 2 of “A House, A Home” will be posted on November 15.)

My beloved New York City! I often use those words when I talk about the city that never sleeps, the resilient city where I live. For the past few days we’ve been shut down with all the hatches battened down. Every bridge and tunnel around Manhattan was closed, no buses or subways running, all airplanes grounded, and trains from anywhere unable to come or go in this normally bustling city. We looked like a ghost town as we waited for the BIG STORM to strike – and strike she did – with a vengeance.

After Sandy had left her mark on us, NYC’s Mayor Bloomberg said, “We had a storm of unprecedented proportions!” According to the MTA, the city’s transit system suffered unparalleled damage to the underground subway tunnels, commuter rails, bus garages. The 108-year-old subway system had never faced a disaster as devastating as what Sandy dealt it. The storm flooded tunnels, brought down trees over tracks, and ripped out power lines. Thousands of New Yorkers were without electricity. The surging brackish water also caused extensive complications at hospitals when backup power systems failed, forcing the evacuation of patients to other facilities. Nearly 200 firefighters battled a blaze that destroyed over 80 homes in the beach community of Breezy Point, one of the most flooded parts of the City. Yes, Sandy hit us hard!

In a press conference, President Obama told us that “America is with you. Obviously this is something that is heartbreaking for the entire nation.” He promised to get aid to those affected by the storm, saying there would be “no bureaucracy, no red tape.”

But then, just when one might have thought NYC was down and out, here’s what happened. The MTA employees showed their remarkable commitment to restoring transportation. Sandy had barely left the outskirts of the City when public buses were back on the streets offering two days of free rides. Medical workers and ambulances from all over the City tenderly helped move patients from endangered hospitals to other hospitals. Folks who had been inside their apartments for two days suffering from cabin fever came out to walk their neighborhoods, talking with each other about the storm.

When I went for a walk in my neighborhood, I was surprised to see many of the shops reopened. Local restaurants were doing a booming business. People must have been tired of eating whatever they had cooked the last few days. They talked and joked with one another. All signs indicated that New Yorkers weren’t feeling sorry for themselves; they wanted to return to normalcy.

Sometimes we New Yorkers get a bad rap for not caring about other people. But here’s a story I heard that shows how untrue that is. An elementary school sent out an e-mail calling for families to donate towels, clothing, and shoes for folks who had been evacuated in the neighborhood. A few hours later they had to send out another e-mail saying the response had been so overwhelming that they couldn’t handle any more donations. Now that’s my beloved New York City!

Thank you, God, for creating us to be kind, and strong. As we think of the many victims of the storm Sandy, we lift up all those who are devastated by the power of that storm. May they find comfort and strength to face these days. We thank you for giving us opportunities to learn how to be loving and resilient – even in tough times. Amen.

Joy Carol
www.joycarol.com