Life is crazy and we are just along for the ride.  It feels like that.  My last post I wrote about how nerve racking it was to worry about my mom who lives in Puerto Rico with the threat of Hurricane Irma.  Thankfully all was good.  Fast forward two weeks, and I have been awake for 40 hours straight as Puerto Rico was pummeled by Hurricane Maria.  And I can tell you as someone named Maria, that it packed the attitude of a Maria.  I cannot go into all the details but my heart is heavy with destruction.  It looks like a third world country. 

As of the time of this post, I have not heard from my mom or my aunt (they are together) and it has been awful and gut wrenching.  Thankfully we heard that while there is destruction there are no fatalities.  Still, I want my mom with me-- safe and sound.  And so we wait.  All communications are down and it will be about another 48 hours before some basic form of communication is restored.  So we hope and we pray.  

You may be wondering what I am doing writing this post? I need the distraction.  The mental break.  I am emotionally and mentally exhausted.  So I turn to what I love.  Flowers.  My dahlias.  The beautiful Cafe au Lait always sooth me. 

I sit here thinking about my tiny island in the Caribbean.  Can you spot it?

And the lyrics of LaBorinquena, of our Puerto Rican antheem fill my spirit.  They always do because images of my beautiful island, the Island of Enchantment remind me that it is home.  And so today I dedicate these flowers and the lyrics to my island.  Today we woke up to devastation-- broke and hurt.  But we are strong and we will rise and recover. 

"The land of Borinquen, where I was born is a flowery garden of magical beauty. A constantly clear sky serves as its canopy. And placid lullabies are sung by the waves at its feet. When at her beaches Columbus arrived; full of awe he exclaimed: "Oh! Oh! Oh! This is the lovely land that I seek. Borinquen is the daughter, the daughter of the sea and the sun. Of the sea and the sun, Of the sea and the sun, Of the sea and the sun, Of the sea and the sun."

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