Nobody thought Hurricane Maria would wreck Puerto Rico the way it did, yet when the sun rose once again after the storm nothing was the same. Everything seemed out of place, I felt out of place. Not only were trees yanked by their roots ripped out, but my humanity was stripped from me. Anxiety lingered through the souls whom lived through the haunting hurricane. The concept of time and date were lost. A wave of desperation hit when wanting to communicate with loved ones. What we had considered “normal” for years was no longer our reality. We would have to create and adapt to a new “normal.” And so we did since Hurricane Maria had left behind a few silver linings.
Every time me eyes would spot a great cloud, you could see my sister and me running out the door with our hair products so we could wash our hair under the rain. I know what you might be thinking “Rain water is dirty!” and my family did own one of those water tanks but it didn’t matter to us. We craved a clean scalp!
Personally, I’m not a big fan of canned meats but I am a big fan of canned pastas (Shout out to Chef Boyardee). Puerto Ricans got creative with the way they ate canned ham and sausage. Some would put it in rice, others would make a sandwich out of it. Everyone obtained some sort of award in cooking for the way they executed and fed themselves with a good meal.
Do not get me wrong, getting my first call after receiving a smidge of a signal was amazing but seeing your loved ones face-to-face was invigorating. When I saw my best friend for the first time, I would have cried if I were a more emotional woman. BUT I WAS EXCITED! Being able to just enjoy another’s company and indulge into the conversation was invigorating since I find that I feed others’ energies. At the end of the day, ditching the phone wasn’t so bad after all.
Imagine a scenario where Netflix is nonexistent and talking with friends is impossible, all YOU HAVE LEFT ARE BOOKS. Hurricane Maria gave me the chance to catch up and read books I did not have the time to read. I became friends with the characters in the books and it was refreshing to not have to face the crisis I was living. It was an escape from the reality I was facing.
It wasn’t safe for anyone to be outside so we were forced to be inside for a few days, and it was horrible. When I finally got in the car for the first time, I cried. It was alleviating to finally see the destruction with my own eyes since I was listening to the different stories from people who had seen the damage. Car rides helped me realize that what I am going through is nothing compared to those who have lost their homes or lost their lives.
Every day, a new silver lining is found. I admit, I enjoy my new “normal.” Hurricane Maria paused most areas of our lives, like work and college; it was refreshing to see an aspect of our lives that we once considered dull, with a new and grateful perspective. Truthfully, I reacted very negatively the first days after the hurricane and I never thought I would be able to see it as cheerfully as I see now. I no longer miss the trees that covered most of our island because I am eagerly acknowledging the new views that Maria has left for us to admire.