Twister is Not a Game!

Growing up in West Texas, tornado warnings were a daily occurrence in the Spring. They just weren't worth getting excited about. Also, my parents are the most calm, unexcitable people I know. My dad is a retired fireman, and my mother -- well someday I will tell you the story of her, her brother Tommy and other events in her life that just make her a calm person. They have both experienced things that most of us won't, and it has taught them to be calm and patient. Therefore, tornado warning are just not anything that I considered a big emergency. That is, until I had kids.

In March, 2000, a Tornado hit downtown Fort Worth, It was in the late afternoon, just as everyone was getting off work. We lived in Arlington, in the crook of I-20 and Hwy 360. Another twister touched down south of I-20 then lifted over our house and touched down again east of 360. I was driving home from work at the moment this was happening. I remember hearing it all on the radio, telling myself how important it was to stay calm. I was on the highway. By the time I got where it was safe to pull over, I was only minutes from home, so I just kept going. When I arrived, Shanon had every blind pulled up and was pacing from one window to the next watching the weather, and watching for me to get home. He was learning the concept of being responsible for someone else. He felt responsible for me!

On Tuesday night of this week, we had a tornado warning in Alabama. Our bedroom is downstairs, while our kids sleep upstairs. Just a few nights before we discussed at dinner what would happen if there was a fire and what we would do to get to our kids, or, get them to us. There is a warning siren at the ball field directly behind our house. So, it is very intimidating when it goes off. The kids and I have experienced this several times on Spring afternoons. On those occasions, the kids were downstairs with me. Tuesday night was different. Our babies were upstairs sleeping in thier beds. So, we discussed for a while if we should go up and get them. At least if they were downstairs, we could move to a safe location quickly. Finally, we decided to move them. We made a bed for Talon in the floor and brought Terrin to our bed. Shanon was listening to the TV, and I was trying to go back to sleep. Then we heard a terrific noise. In West Texas it would have been a gentle breeze. But, in Alabama, it was a wind like I had never heard before. This time, there was no discussion. I picked up Terrin, Shanon grabbed Talon and we were in the bathroom before we even stopped to think. Our parent instincts kicked in. I sat in the floor explaining to Talon about tornadoes and why we were in the bathroom. Shanon took up his ritual of pacing the floor and watching the sky. Talon had joined us on the Twister ride at Universal Studios just three months ago. It was the only attraction that week that really scared him. So, he wavered from fascination to fear.

Obviously, we survived the tornado warning of 2009. But, I did learn that kids change everything. For the first time in my life, this Texas girl took shelter from the storm. Thank you, God, for a safe night in Alabama.