As I walk today, I try fiercely to focus on my characters and their scenes, but my eyes are drawn to the devastation that remains three months after Hurricane Matthew. Many are working to protect what’s left of their property, but quite a few lost everything and have done nothing to clear away the debris, the fragments of their lives.

My heart is heavy for those who had to abandon their homes and now have nothing to come back to. How do they pick up the pieces and move forward? Do they clear the land and rebuild? Or does the fear of further desolation keep them running?

Mother Nature can be brutal, ravaging homes large and small, and the only ray of sunshine is no lives in our area were lost. Our entire area was evacuated, saving the people and pets, but where do they go from here?

It’s tough to write about an athletic journey or love and friendship when I gaze at the destruction and worry about the ones who lost everything. I did realize that I have a few scenes, already written, that need to be moved to a different location in the story. I’ll tackle those today. In the meantime, I’m going to sit and reflect and thank the stars for protecting the lives of so many in our community and hope that tomorrow is a brighter day. Until next time, HUGS.