On the morning of my birthday, we were in Maui when we received an alert for a ballistic missile approaching the islands of Hawaii. A nearby siren sounded, making it eerily surreal. The radios reiterated: “This is not a drill. Seek cover.”
Thirty-eight minutes later we got the official all-clear, allowing us to breathe again.
However brief it may have been, it was a poignant and humbling peek into the possibility of imminent death; a vulnerability to something so completely outside of our control, resulting in despair and helplessness.
It is an undeniable privilege to not have to experience such a terrorizing possibility on a regular basis. The invitation for this dance is to take pause, reflect, and give thanks for the security so many of us are provided on a day to day basis. It’s a a security we all too often take for granted.
