WILMA & HONEYMOONS 


My August entry mentioned my daughter. Now an update on her life since. 

My daughter got married mid-October. A passage for every dad of a daughter as well as for her.

She, her mom and his mom planned well. The extended families of her and her guy were involved and committed to this expression of their union.

Then they went to Cancun for their honeymoon. Sunny skies over warm, clean beaches.

Halfway into their week there, she calls me. The hotel says they're on the safe side of the safest building in the hotel. In fact the hotel staff is moving other guests to their side of the building. I go online to check the forecast - Wilma, category 3 hurricane. Then, later in the day, she calls and leaves voicemail - the hotel still doesn't plan to evacuate, they're moving their stuff and the groceries they got into the interior room - away from windows and glass. I can hear the wind in the background as I listen to the message.

Then nothing. The hurricane strengthens to category 5. It's expected to quickly pass off shore.

It doesn't. In fact it moves inland.
And sits two days.

A day and a half after she'd called me, she's able to call her mom using someone else's cell phone. They were evacuated and are in a school about 20 miles inland. No idea on what plans there may be. The next morning they call his mom. Variation of the same conversation.

The hurricane passes and they return to the hotel. No electricity, no running water, curfew is 6:30. No where to go anyway.
The hotel staff barbecues meals on the beach for the guests.
In a few days, the airport is open, there is a process,
so they wait with a mile long line of other buses and cars to get in to the airport, wait their turn to fly out.

Are home 24 hours later.
Safe.
Stressed.
But safe
and home.

Now, we edge into the complicated holiday season.
The complex social calendar.
More stress.
But nothing like October. 

Posted at 07:57 AM   RDS  
Sat - November 5, 2005

Posted: Sat - November 5, 2005 at 02:24 PM          

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