Marina Petrova
Little Problems, Big Hurricane by Marina Petrova
Shortly after Hurricane Sandy, there was a Squeezable Yogurt Crisis. My six-year-old son, four long days without school, sat down on the floor and cried because I told him we didn’t have any yogurt. Typically I would deal with this crisis by losing my temper. But almost a week into the Mommy & Son boot camp, I mean bonding, I was losing touch with reality, I mean becoming alarmingly calm. I walked out of the apartment and pressed the elevator button. He followed. The whining subsided two blocks later. “Mom,” he asked, “why were you ignoring me?”
What I said next was not planned. “A few days ago many people lost their homes. Kids were left without their beds or their toys. Schools were flooded. Other people have been without heat, light or water for days. Do you think this is a big deal?”
My son nodded.
“Do you think waiting thirty minutes to have a yogurt is a big deal?” I asked.
He shook his head.
It did not feel like a win, nor should it have. I remember how I hated when adults got preachy with me, particularly if they had a point.
The following Saturday, there was a call for Russian speaking volunteers to go door-to-door on Coney Island to check on people, especially seniors, who lived in the high rises and had no electricity, water or a way to get down from a high floor. › Continue reading
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