Calm Your Thunder

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Sometimes in life, you just need a hug. No words, no advice, just a hug to make you feel better.

~ Unknown

So, it’s another rainy Florida afternoon with Mother Nature’s display happening outside my windows. Caylee the Zen Puppy is snuggled up next to me so I can protect her from the light show and booming noises that don’t seem to end. I brought my laptop to the bed, and all three of us are jammed in with pillows and blankies. 

She has been getting more and more nervous about these loud thunderstorms as she ages.  Fireworks were always a bother, but for a long time, she did not seem to mind thunder.  Not so anymore.  At the first faint little rumble, she finds me and asks with those big, beautiful eyes to be comforted.  And I, or anyone else who is nearby, always oblige. How can you not? We all need an extra little bit of soothing every now and again when the thunder is booming all around us.

How often do you ask for this comforting boost? That special hug when you’re scared or having a tough day. Do we ever ask for the soothing words we need to hear amid our own thunder? The reassurance that all will be well when we're feeling especially vulnerable?

Or, on the flip side, how often do we give those extra squeezes or comforting words without being asked? Do we notice when others need comfort from their version of scary, loud noises?

My guess, and my own experience, is that we're not very good at asking for comfort for fear of seeming needy or worrying about what others will think. We're also not always observant of when others might need a hug, because we're so caught up in our own suffering, problems, and thunder.

I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I know I’ve been feeling out of sync lately and need more comfort, lazy time, and potato chips. I recognize that some of this feeling has accumulated during our two-year house-building project. As you know, I’ve been lamenting about this endeavor in previous posts, and I find myself blaming all my angst on the experiences and delays we have been facing, lol!

But as I try to look at this project objectively, I can see that everyone’s noisy thunder is different.  It’s all about perspective. For those of us desperately longing to be done and settled in our amazing sanctuary, it has been a flurry of emotions ranging from the peaceful awe, wonder, and excitement to the thunderous frustration, disappointment, and anger.   We are all in desperate need of comfort from those thundery emotions as our finish line keeps getting pushed further out!

On the other hand, our builder and subcontractors face different kinds of thunder. They have to manage scheduling issues, deal with picky and demanding customers, face unforeseen problems, and countless details to keep track of, not just for our house but for all the other projects they're working on. Plus, they undoubtedly have other thunder going on in their personal lives as well. 

My longed-for ‘everyone working seamlessly, efficiently, and together’ mode keeps bumping into the realities of ‘today’s world’ mode, where this doesn’t always happen.  And then the ‘how to handle, fix, and move forward in a productive’ mode needs to kick in, hopefully without all of the thunder and angst!

We all need some comfort from the scary, difficult, or confusing thunder that happens in our lives. We need to feel okay about seeking comfort, just like Caylee does with her big brown eyes when the thunder booms start. It feels good for both of us when she crawls into my arms to calm her fears.

Everyone’s thunder is unique. It’s easy to focus on our own thunder while missing or misinterpreting others’ thunder. I know it’s even harder when all of our thunder overlaps and may be at opposite ends of the spectrum. I guess it’s during those times that we need a bit more objectivity and compassion for everyone – I suppose I especially need that now!

Time does have a way of calming all of our thunder.  The booms get further away as the storm passes.  The sun and blue sky will emerge.  And soon you will be playing with your favorite squeaky toy again – or moving into your dream house!

How do you calm your thunder?

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