One year ago today, I wrote this while sitting on the bed in a hotel room in South Carolina after evacuating Tampa because of Hurricane Irma's direct approach.

Surrounded by my husband, three children, two Labradors, my kids' grandparents, and my brother's Great Dane, I poured out my feelings onto this keyboard:

Piece by piece my heart is breaking. At the thought of, piece by piece, my "home" state being destroyed. Piece by piece my heart is breaking At the thought of my family, friends and all of those still in harm's way. Piece by piece my anxiety is building As the time gets closer to landfall. Piece by piece I am trying to keep it together, For my children and their innocent and easily scared minds. Yet, piece by piece I am attempting to find peace By making a conscious effort to have faith that a greater power will ensure the safety and security of what really matters -- lives. And piece by piece the bands will pass and the weather will decrease. Then piece by piece we will clean up. And piece by piece we will rebuild. Piece by piece we help one another to find some semblance of peace amidst the destruction. PIECE BY PIECE, WE WILL FIND PEACE AGAIN.

Hold on to that.

Whether we are discussing literal storms, like the ones active in the Atlantic, or those less-spoken about but just as damaging internal disturbances inside of our minds, hearts, neighborhoods, homes, etc., hold on tightly to the fact that everything is repairable -- even you -- if you just go piece by piece.

Stay safe everyone!