The Storm of Alienation

In life, there are certain storms you can see coming a mile away. You can actually watch as the skies shift in front of you. And if you listen closely, you’ll hear the warnings. When this occurs, you aptly prepare for what’s ahead, you brace yourself, and you ride it out, hoping the damage will be minimal.

But then… there’s this one storm that no one ever expects or is prepared for.

This is the storm of alienation and it doesn’t just roll in gradually. It doesn’t give you time to gather all your most important belongings, board up your windows, or run for shelter. Instead, it hits like a monster in the night. Arriving unannounced, unforgiving, and far more destructive than anyone on the outside can ever imagine.

Search as you may, there’s no shelter strong enough to withstand its gale force. No safe basement to hide in when it tears through your life, ripping children from your arms and leaving behind nothing but despair and destruction. And the worst part? The world just keeps on spinning like nothing ever happened.

There’s no FEMA team who will come to our rescue and there’s definitely no insurance policy for this kind of loss. Sadly, you’re left standing alone in the wreckage as you sift through the emotional rubble, trying to salvage whatever pieces of your life still remain intact.

Without a doubt, there will always be some people who will say that, it’s alright, you’ll rebuild. That time heals all wounds. They have no idea what it’s like to have your life crumble before your eyes, helplessly standing there. Not surprisingly, the ones who are responsible for this storm smile innocently for others and post Bible verses online.

Keep in mind, that this storm doesn’t just knock things over. It destroys the natural bonds between a parent and a child. It rewrites familial history. It paints the targeted parent as a monster. And all the while, we’re still standing there in plain sight, bruised, unseen, and unheard.

While this unfolds, the air can seem so thick with grief that you can barely even breathe. Other times, you’re just numb, as you stare off to a distant place, going through the motions, and hoping to find one more reason to keep going. Sometimes you do, sometimes you don’t. But when it happens, it might come in the form of a memory, a photograph, or even just a letter you wrote but never sent.

However, what no one is able to tell you is that this storm doesn’t end with clear skies. It lingers indefinitely. It even follows you into the next season, the next year, and sometimes the next decade. But here’s the part that really matters, and that is - you survived it.

You’re still here.

Even though you’re a bit worse for wear. Even during those times when you don’t feel whole. Even if that silence roars in your ears, you’re still here. And trust me, that means something.

As we look around, we realize that the storm may have changed a lot of things, but it didn’t erase your love. It certainly didn’t erase the real truth. And it didn’t take away your right to keep hoping for a break in the clouds that hover above us.

Because as long as you’re standing, there’s still time enough to be found and the bonds to be restored.

David Shubert