Saltwater & Serenity: Finding Peace in the Storm

  There are moments in life when everything feels calm… until it isn’t. One second you’re enjoying the moment, and the next, the clouds shift—subtly at first—and something inside you says, pay attention. Something is going on and it's closer than it appears.  That happened to me recently at a water park, of all places. We were just getting out of the water, about to leave. The clouds in the distance had started to look ominous, but we are Louisiana girls, dark clouds aren't that big of a deal, especially this time of year. We weren’t in a rush. Until we saw a little flash in the distance. We knew it was time to start packing up. Still being leisurely—talking, drying off a little, checking out some of the new improvements to the park we headed to change. As we were walking toward the changing area, my sister looked at my daughter and said, “Oh, look at her hair.” I turned, thinking it was just the wind. But it wasn’t. Her long, wet hair was standing straight up—just a few stran...

  Last Saturday night, my sister asked if I could cut her hair. It was late—we’d been out all day, I was tired, and honestly, all I wanted to do was relax. But I agreed. She came over around 9 p.m. (yes, that late), and we headed inside.  Now, it’s late spring here in the South, and that means nighttime brings out all sorts of creatures. I have some outdoor lighting, but it’s not the brightest. As we were walking up the porch, I went first and walked right past something without noticing. My sister, just a step behind me, suddenly says, “Snake!” Of course, I froze. “Where?” “Right there.” It took me a minute, but sure enough—there it was. A baby copperhead, just inches from where I had walked. I had gone right past it and never even saw it. In that moment, I felt so many things—shock, fear, gratitude. And then I thought: I always remind my daughter to be careful, to pay attention… but I forget to remind myself. Sometimes we get so used to our routines that we stop paying atten...