Reflecting on This Past Week
Assalamu’Alaikum, everyone. This past week Texans across the state experienced a winter storm that unexpectedly threatened our basic physiological and safety needs and consequently, our emotional well-being. As I was trying to sleep last night, I couldn’t stop thinking about this past week and all of the feelings that came up. I thought it may be helpful to share some of my thoughts in hopes of normalizing and validating your own feelings, no matter who you are or to what extent you experienced hardship this past week.
On Sunday night, winter storm Uri began its journey through Texas and what unfolded was not something any of us were expecting. Our property manager proactively reminded us to drip our faucets. We kept our heat on as temperatures dropped below freezing. We saw snow falling down as it did a month prior. I expected the roads to be bad, for places of business to be closed, and for us to stay vigilant to ensure our pipes don’t freeze or burst. What I didn’t expect was to wake up Monday morning to the news of several power outages. What started out as planned outages turned out to be days without electricity or warmth for many people. By Tuesday morning, around 4 million homes and businesses across Texas were without power. 43% of Austin residents were without power. I kept waiting for our turn. We prepared food while trying to conserve as much energy as we could. A couple of days went by and our power stayed on, Alhamdulillah. News of water outages surfaced. I noticed our water pressure drop slightly and began to worry. Then, a city-wide boil notice went into effect. Again, we balanced the need to prepare with the need to conserve. We boiled enough water to fill our bottles to drink and kept some aside for the toilets just in case. We had heard stories of people driving hours to find water or using the snow from outside to flush their toilets. We had no idea what to expect and no faith that our basic needs would be met by the systems we thought we could rely on. On one hand, we were incredibly privileged to be in the position we were in. On the other hand, we were terrified of the unknown, preparing for the worst.
For many, this past week has been a blur. A blur of chaos, confusion, helplessness, anger, guilt, and panic. In the context of basic human needs, these feelings make complete sense. If we look at Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, physiological and safety needs make up the first two blocks of the hierarchy, respectively, and represent our basic needs. If our physiological and safety needs aren’t met, we can’t focus on any of our other needs such as belongingness and love, esteem, and self-actualization.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Many of us are used to having our basic needs met, while others may not be as fortunate. Regardless of your personal circumstance, all of us experienced, at the very least, the threat of our basic needs being taken away from us, which can be paralyzing and traumatic. Watching the systems that are in place to protect us fail leaves us in a state of mistrust and discomfort. Where do we go from here?
Firstly, I want to validate everything you are experiencing. Although most of us have our power back, many are still without water. Of those with water, they may be under a boil water notice. Returning back to some sort of normalcy may take time, both from a physiological standpoint and from an emotional standpoint. Even if our systems and routines go back to normal, the emotional toll this past week has taken on us may linger. It’s okay to give yourself space to grapple with those feelings, even if you were one of the more fortunate ones during this ordeal. Many of us fall into this way of thinking where we invalidate our own feelings because others are suffering worse than we are. I want to emphasize that it’s okay to hold space for BOTH feelings of despair and gratitude. It’s okay to hold space for BOTH yourself and for others. Be graceful with yourself and what you’ve endured. It’s okay to not feel normal even after things go back to normal. Know that you are not alone in feeling what you’re feeling.
Secondly, I want to highlight that once again, the people in power and the systems in place have failed us. Some of our elected officials, who have an obligation to serve their constituents, failed to utilize their resources or take action to help our community. While this was an unfortunate event, it’s not the first time it has happened. Similar failures have occurred in the past were quickly forgotten, and no preventative action was taken. I want us to be mindful of this in the future.
I want to end this post on a more positive note. Although I am overall frustrated with this tragedy, I am moved by the effort many people have exerted in helping our community. Citizens, non-profit organizations, mutual-aid organizations, corporations, restaurants, and out-of-state leaders helped raise money and coordinate efforts to distribute food and supplies to our most vulnerable populations. I sincerely thank you for all of your efforts.
I pray the upcoming days and weeks are better for you all. I pray for families who have lost loved ones as a result of this tragedy. I pray that the flawed systems that led to this tragedy get fixed. I pray for compassionate and empathetic leaders in the future. I pray that our community continues to come together to help each other in times of crisis. I pray that those who are suffering find ease. Ameen.
“Verily with every hardship comes ease.”
- Qur’an 94:5
