Have you ever noticed how the bands of a hurricane resemble the loving and expansive group of people who encircle and surround you through a storm? Many of us have had times in our lives when we’ve reached out to others when we feel threatened or vulnerable. Hurricanes can also inspire those emotions, but it has its own unique qualities.

Unlike an illness when we seek the comfort of others, we can often see the hurricane coming. It comes in small steps, often meandering its way from the African coast. Many of us who could potentially be in its path watch it with a cautious eye, and hope that it will dissipate or go in a different direction. And many times, like an untended flower, it complies.

This time is different. We knew that Hurricane Ian was coming, and hoped that like a few other times over the last 20 years, he would go on his merry way—somewhere else. It didn’t take long for us to realize that he would be showing up as an uninvited guest, and we would have to grudgingly prepare for him. So we did the extra shopping, checked the generator, filled the bathtub, and hunkered down. And as we watched the expanding bands of the enormous storm grow, we could see the bands of our relationships expand.