One of many photos of Hurricane Irma’s wrath in St. Maarten

Yesterday marked the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Harvey’s assault on Houston and other areas in Texas. September 6 is the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Irma’s attack on St. Maarten. Many areas in Texas have recovered well from Harvey, while others haven’t. And while these two anniversaries are remembered, Hawaii is bracing for the arrival of Hurricane Lane.

Mike and I were in St. Maarten when Hurricane Harvey hit Texas, and also when Hurricane Irma came through St. Maarten. Most of my book manuscript about our Hurricane Irma in St. Maarten experience is currently with my publisher, scheduled to be released in October. The last part of the book isn’t yet written, it will be written when Mike and I are in St. Maarten for the anniversary of the hurricane. We want to see how the island is recovering one year later.

My book isn’t just about Hurricane Irma, it is really about change, change that changes us. 

Change is something we can resist, embrace, or just accept.  Change happens regardless of which option we choose. With all change comes lessons, lessons that change us. We can fail to see the lessons and to incorporate them into our life, or choose to ignore them, remaining in denial. Change always changes us, whether or not we learn from its lessons. Some change can be positive, some negative. And some can be both.

Photo of Changed Man Jason Padgett

I recently heard an extreme example of this. A man, Jason Padgett, had a major change. At 32 years of age he was attacked and had a brain injury, which is certainly a negative event. That changed him, however, in a very positive way. Whereas he had not been a good student in school, including repeating the twelfth grade, he became a math wizard as a result of his attack and the changes it created in his mind. There was not a direct path from the one to the other, however. Between the attack and his renewal as a math wizard, there were many dark moments. During all of these times, the choices Jason made resulted in a new life, a much better life. Jason’s changes changed him, and he didn’t just accept them, he embraced them. As a result, Jason has a new and very happy life.

Most of us will not face such dramatic changes as Jason Padgett. Even so, we do face changes that change us, whether or not we even see the changes. If we see the changes, we can resist them, accept them, or embrace them, using them for our good. In each of those changes are choices, choices that change us.

What change is changing you? Or are you resisting the change, accepting it, or embracing it?