LIM College

Hi Friends!

To all those who weathered the storm this past week, I hope I find you safe and dry. For those who live beyond the reach of this hurricane’s effects, please keep those in need in your thoughts.

As you probably know, Hurricane Sandy rocked the Eastern Seaboard just prior to Halloween.  The massive storm slammed into the East Coast killing at least 106 people in the United States. Power outages peaked at 8.5 million, leaving the New York skyline eerily dark.

While this devastating disaster has wreaked havoc on many lives, stripped families of loved ones, and left individuals in utter disbelief, it is the spirit of people to find a silver lining in even the darkest of clouds.

I was not born in New York, nor did I live in New York during 9/11. However, I have lived in the city for the past two years, experienced the anniversary of 9/11 twice, and lived here through two hurricanes. I am in utter awe of how individuals collectively band together to persevere through struggle, overcome sorrow, and celebrate the teamwork that is the quintessential essence of America. I am so proud to live in New York and experience the courage and inspiration present every day.   

If I have learned anything from attending LIM College and living in New York City, it is that people are resilient, strong, and inspiring. Yesterday, I spoke to numerous LIM College students who had lost everything and had been living without power for the past week, yet they were at school, working hard, and staying strong. 

In many ways Hur­ri­cane Sandy reminded us that when faced with natural disaster. We can’t hold back the tides, stop a build­ing from col­laps­ing, blow out a fire with a wave of the hand, turn on the power by snap­ping our fin­gers, or bring our lost loved ones back home.

Yet, Hur­ri­cane Sandy  showed us just how big and pow­er­ful we stand together.

There were res­cues at sea, new­borns carried down flights of stairs and transported to safety, pets saved, and fam­i­lies reunited as rescuers and offi­cers often gave their own life for the safety of others.

The actions of peo­ple dur­ing Hur­ri­cane Sandy saved lives—made an impact, made a dif­fer­ence that will last for­ever. That is big and pow­er­ful, because it was done together.

In the eye of the storm, there is power in accept­ing our pow­er­less­ness. It propels us to work as one. The support of people and organizations across the nation and throughout the world is uplifting beyond words. 

For those of us lucky enough to make it through unharmed, we thank you Sandy for teaching us humility, for reminding us what it means to give of ourselves beyond what lies in our own path. Today, think about how you can give back and help someone in need.

New York is “battered but not beaten, without power but not powerless. We stand strong. We stand together. We will persevere. We will rebuild.”

Until next week, experience the profound nature of becoming a part of something bigger than oneself.

XOXO Court