| When Life is Like a Tornado |
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The summer of 1972, our family was transferred to Tulsa, Oklahoma. Two years later, on June 8, 1974, I had just finished my sophomore year in high school and was happily grounded in school and friendships. That afternoon I left my job at the neighborhood pool and looked up uneasily. It was sunny, but something in the air just didn’t feel right. The sky was filled with small, puffy white clouds, but I noticed that they were tightly packed together, as if God had placed a huge bag of cotton balls in the sky over my head. I felt restless without knowing why; but three hours later, I knew. The sky quickly grew dark well before nightfall and it took on a sinister tinge of forest green. Somewhere in the distance, lightening began to slash through the sky in jagged bolts I grabbed our dog as my parents and I quickly went under the stairs into a closet. The roar of the wind was deafening, truly sounding like a train coming right through our home. I was shaking from fear as the sound continued for a terrifying ten or so seconds, and then was struck by the utter stillness that followed. There was no sound – none! The electricity was out, so even the hum of the air conditioner was silent. When all was said and done, two F-3 tornadoes had ravaged the City of Tulsa. Somehow, we were one of the lucky ones with barely any damage, but the damage in the city exceeded thirty million dollars in the 1974 economy. It was a dark day in the city’s history; but when I think back on the event, what stands out in my mind more than anything else is the amazing sunshine of the day after the tornado; of the outpouring of help from those in the community who had been fortunate enough to be unscathed by the storm’s fury. The spirit of optimism and renewal, compassion and generosity, permeated the air more than the dervish winds of the previous night. Yes, it was a horrific experience, but from that came beginnings and a new sense of appreciation in a way that had not existed before for any of us. So, during this time of Spring storms, if you feel beaten about, battered, even hailed upon, be strong in the realization that when you truly have nothing left to lose, it is at that moment – in a seeming contradiction - you will also have more than you have ever had; because you will have withstood your darkest moment, survived it, and you will then be perfectly poised for the beauty and appreciation of the renewal that naturally follows every storm.
Nan O'Brien
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Nan O’Brien’s intuitive gifts have resulted in an extraordinary life path helping thousands of people. She works with families and law enforcement on unsolved criminal cases; writes a daily syndicated column for the Tribune Company; hosts her syndicated radio show Saturday nights, providing on air intuitive counseling and mediumship; authors books; tours nationwide to sold-out audiences; and conducts private sessions. She spends her life helping others gain an understanding of their life purpose and life lessons; communicating with loved ones who have passed into Spirit; and understanding direction for the future. Here on GALTime, you'll get insight into her perspective and she'll even answers readers questions. We'll even provide a collection of responses on a regular basis. 
that reached like a hawk’s talons down to the earth and thunder began to rumble. It was the lone sound in the air, the birds had stopped singing and even the bugs had stopped chirping. Then, the wind - which always blew a bit in Oklahoma - suddenly roared up, and the large tree in front of our house began bending in one direction and then another, and still another, as if it were bowing irreverently toward each direction on the compass: North, south, east, and west. Just then, the tornado sirens behind our house went off, wailing, pleading, warning of the chaotic monster that was soon upon us.
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