Earhquake

Main Entry:

earth·quake

Pronunciation:

\ˈərth-ˌkwāk\

Function:

noun

Date:

14th century

1 : a shaking or trembling of the earth that is volcanic or tectonic in origin

Today seamed to be the best day for a word that has been on the tips of my typing fingers for some time. Today I declare Earthquake an encouraging word.

Before you go back to the other Allana Leigh blogs and say, but wait doesn't she live in Southern California? Doesn't she know that they just had a pretty hefty earthquake this morning? Yes, I live in Southern California. And yes, I felt all 45 seconds of the earth moving underneath me. No I did not duck and cover, (laptops kinda took out the desks in our house!) I did not run, or scream, or even panic. I looked down, I looked at the man I love, I ran to the arch of our hallway, and I put my hands out to each column and gave into the rolling of the apartment.

After the rolling stopped, I checked with Alex and the pets to make sure they were all OK. I checked grandma's china to find out if I was going to have to call my mother sobbing, and then I looked around. All was clear. Everything except the tub was fine. I exhaled. “Thank you!”

Sometimes it takes something bigger then us to remind us that we are so small in this universe. Sometimes it takes something as ground shattering as an earthquake to teach us what it means to be grateful for what you can not control. I called my mother, my sister, and my father but cell service was slim to none. I realized in that moment, that there was nothing I could do about what had or might have happened.

I will not go as far as to say that an earthquake is in any means relaxing, but the realization that you are not alone in this world but rather only one element of something much larger is reassuring to say the least. Once I heard from all local members of the family and confirmed that everything was in order, I sat back and I thought about the last time we all called each other on the same day just to check in. It has been to long for that. It has been too long since the last time, I spent a relaxing morning drinking a cup of coffee and just chatted with the girls. Today, it was not a matter of time or money, but an earthquake that sat me on the brown chair in the center of our living room to make such calls, and I was thankful.

The news coverage of the earthquake has changed its focus. Now they are talking about the need to predict these types of scismic events. However, as they try to predict the future, I sit here at my computer trying to drown out the noise. I don't want to know. Even if I could predict when and where an earthquake was going to happen, I am not sure that I would want to know about it. Telling me that the big one is going to hit within 7 years, only causes me to worry about things that once again, I can not control. If you told me last night that an earthquake was going to hit this morning, I would not want to hear it. There is nothing I can do to stop it. The earth is going to move with or without my consent. It is going to do as it pleases.

I believe we can do things to stop global warming. I believe in using less natural recourses and savoring what our planet has so graciously given us, but I also believe that unless we can control it, worrying about it, is only going to make each of us worse. Stress is not healthy, anger is not healthy, rambling crowds of people pushing to get in and out of cities is not healthy.

But earthquakes might be healthy. I am encouraged by this mornings earthquake in the simple way it reminds me to let go of those things for which I have no control. I am happy for this mornings earthquake for the reminder that we are not the only thing in existence on this planet. I am encouraged by the way an earthquake can remind us to tell those we love that we do infact love them. Maybe an Earthquake every couple of years is exactly the reminder we need that there are so many mysteries of this universe beyond what we can comprehend, and that is ok.

So today, Shake, Rattle, and Roll!