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"Black skies, violent winds of change, and ominous clouds darken the heavens. A virulent hurricane will tear apart a city, savagely destroying buildings and homes, changing the 'personality' and constitution of that town. It transforms serenity to chaos, security to instability, normalcy to turmoil. The storm of grief will do the same. It wreaks havoc within the soul of a person, ruthlessly tearing apart our ideals, our innocence, and our sense of immunity. It awakens questions of faith and spirituality. Grief has the ability to alter the very essence of our character.

Sudden death strikes a family like unrelenting lightning during a torrential monsoon. It is a tragedy no one expects to face during a lifetime; an unspoken disquietude; a subliminal nightmare. Families are never prepared to deal with the death of their children. How can a person possibly prepare for a storm of this enormity?

Once the deluge has passed, there is a deafening silence in the city. Disbelief of the immensity of the loss begins to settle in. Like zombies, people search for their homes, their belongings, perhaps for a loved one: remnants of their former life. Residents roam the streets, sharing the pain of their neighbors. Tears flow from their eyes, as the storms venomous rains poured from the heavens.

Far away communities send assistance to survivors of the hurricane. They send food, water, and medical care: All the practical support they can offer. But not experiencing the storm themselves, they can never fully comprehend the psychological repercussions of the storm's aftermath. The survivors will find the most comfort and solace in sharing the terror of the storm with their neighbors, for they too experienced the unthinkable.

The news will feature footage of the town's renovation. Outsiders will observe the camera's perspective of the apparent revival. Seemingly, if the town looks 'normal' once again, it is presumed that life for the people is once again good.

However, while the "town" will slowly rebuild, the resonant memories of the tragedy remain blazed in the hearts of the survivors. No one can forget how the storm mercilessly inscribed its presence. Buildings re-emerge, but can never feel or appear exactly as they did before the storm. New homes will be constructed, but in absence of the irreplaceable memories the former houses secretly held, precious within its walls.

It is likely that grief has left parent's feeling as if their 'town' has been destroyed, their constitution dismantled. They feel as hollowly 'rebuilt' (reborn) as those new 'homes' (person). It will take time, hard work, and a lot of patience to reacquaint themselves with the new 'home" they live in. To get to know whom they have become after the storm of grief. Eventually, the renovation is complete. New moments of joy are reborn within the lives, homes, and buildings of the new
community. The residents will never forget the thunderous demon that changed lives so dramatically. But eventually tranquility and security are rediscovered within the covenant beauty of the storm's gift ~ the rainbow: A promise of renewed hope, faith, and a discovery of self.

"In order to experience the rainbow, we must first survive the storm."

Hang on. You will survive the storm if you hang on. There is a rainbow waiting for you ~ one so magnificent that you cannot even begin to comprehend it."

~Submitted by: The Compassionate Friends of Atlanta~