My fellow Texans,

This week has been horrendous. Let’s just be real. 

For many, it has been traumatizing and that is not being overly dramatic.

We know many of you were forced to sleep in your cars as the only option to keep your kids and pets warm. 

Many of you have health issues that require electricity for medical devices or oxygen and the lack of electricity was potentially life-threatening and very frightening.

We know you struggled with hard choices of whether to stay in a home that dropped to 35° inside or risk leaving your house and attempt the dangerous roads to make it to a Warming Center.

Many were concerned about the risk of contracting COVID while at a Warming Center. 

We know many of you had pipes in your home burst and have extensive damage to deal with as the temperature starts to warm up and local plumbers are already backlogged.

Feelings of isolation were overwhelming for many Texans. 

Our nerves are fried and tension within households is beginning to show.

It has been an extremely difficult week.

We will get through it.

Don’t forget to eat something on a regular schedule.

Try and get a few minutes away for yourself to take some deep breaths.

As we emerge from this catastrophic event, remind yourself to take one task at a time. The whole picture is too much to take in all at once. 

It will be a few weeks before we emotionally and physically regulate back to normal. 

Be patient with yourself and others.

– Shannon