"Mama, will we be OK from the hurricane?"

Her eyes were wide, and her lips had a slight quiver.

"I think so, baby. I think we will be OK."

A category 4 hurricane lies just offshore. Only two hours away.

Most likely, we will be OK. We don't live near the beach.

My heart is filled with worry about those on the coast.

I am anxious about my own family and my home. Will we be OK?

The stress is overwhelming. Relentless like this hurricane.

We can't guarantee safety for our children, and that is terrifying.

Tornado warnings siren on my phone.

The wind howls, and the rain pounds.

We are as prepared as we can be.

I've been through several hurricanes, most notably Hurricane Andrew, that devastated Miami.

Each hurricane is different.

People often try and compare storms, but it's impossible.

As in life, we can see some storms, and some we cannot.

We often over-prepare and feel relief when life gives us a break.

Other times we think we are prepared, and life hands us a much harder storm than anticipated.

Much like a hurricane, you just never know.

So we prepare.

We wait.

The wait is often the most agonizing part.

Our hearts filled with anxiety.

But there's hope.

There is always hope.

"Mommy, I'm a little scared."

"I know, baby, I'm a little scared too, but we will face this together."

This post originally appeared on the author's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/shepensblog/

Photo from NASA of Hurricane Ian from Space