I have a special place in my heart for flood victims. When hurricane Ike hit the Texas coast, the storm surge brought several feet of water into our home.
It was several weeks before we were even able to return to our home. After several weeks, soggy, soaked stuff smells bad along with making a mess.
My possessions were now a moldy, rusty, soaked mess. Things like my chainsaw, riding lawn mower and jeep were history. I was stunned at the scope and size of the damage.
Anytime I hear of floods or flood recovery, those sensations return to my mind and my heart aches. I know the struggle they are going through.
During clean up, we were without electricity and the benefit of air conditioning in the midst of high humidity of the Texas gulf coast. The heat and smell are vivid memories for me.
Then there were the gawkers driving through the neighborhood looking at the misery and mess. I felt like we were at our worst and others like vultures were watching us.
Work was done a few spurts at a time. It was grueling.
We were overwhelmed by the whole experience. We found ourselves experiencing a dazed existence. I had what’s often called the ‘thousand yard stare’.
It was at that time that some family members came and helped us with clean up. Having others come along and help out during such times was a blessing.
It gave us hope and lifted our spirits. We still had to complete the clean-up. The help of others gave us a new sense of being alive.
In a similar way, when you’re going through recovery there will be times when you are stunned and overwhelmed. Although it’s not a flood, it hits you like a tidal wave and knocks you down.
You are overwhelmed and surrounded by pain and disbelief when D-Day hits. The sensation of being in over your head is part of what happens.
It’s as if you are in zombie mode. Your mind feels dull, your energy level is minimal, you slow down and there is little to no joy in your daily life.
At those times, you need someone to come along and help you out. Although they can’t do all of the heavy lifting, it helps knowing that you’re not alone.
With the arrival of help, there’s a new sense of hope. You start seeing light at the end of your affair recovery tunnel.
A support community can pull you up out of the dumps. You can once again feel alive again and remove the numbness from your brain.
The support community at Restored Lifestyle can help you during the sluggish days of affair recovery. There you’ll find others going through similar struggles along with videos and support material.
Keeping It Real,
Jeff
