By Cherimie Crane Weatherford
Although I often miss deadlines for my column, my mind still views life through the lens of a writer.
Moments are like words, strung together to create a garland that represents life as I see it. Artists perceive the world in color, while writers see it in syllables and sentiments. Just as a magnificent sunset can inspire a masterpiece, a phrase, metaphor, or rhyme can spark a writer’s imagination, compelling them to capture a thought so persistent that it must be written.
This weekend, we were out on the boat when a summer storm suddenly rolled in. Reed, my nautically gifted husband, kept saying it was okay, that the storm was at least 15 miles north of us.
It isn’t the first time I have been in questionable seas with him at the helm. I know he knows what he is doing; however, this time, the stakes are much higher. I had precious cargo, our daughter, and one of her best friends. That changes everything for a momma.
Fears heightened, senses elevated, as it was nurture versus nature. The girls, completely unaware, were immersed in their world of giggles and secrets.
The water got a little choppy, and in the distance, the clouds and lightning were doing an ominous dance. Reed kept reassuring me, “It’s OK, it’s 15 miles out.”
When the horizon stretches endlessly before you, every potential threat feels just a heartbeat away. As the water started to swell and my husband assumed a familiar stance, one that signaled a more serious approach, I asked the girls to hold on. We have a very stable boat and a skillful captain, but when Mother Nature speaks sternly, it’s always wise to listen.
He was watching the storm, and I was watching the girls. I asked them to sit tight and hold on while we made our way away from the risk, expecting them to grab onto the boat.
But what happened next made me pause.
One asked, “Are you scared?”
The other replied, “Not really, are you?”
Then came the line that nearly brought me to my knees.
“All we have to do is hold on to each other, and everything will be OK.”
Tears welled up.
With everything happening in the world, especially this week, and with my daughter being the same age as so many precious souls in Kerrville, Texas, that moment had a profound impact.
They were certain that as long as they held on to each other, they would be OK. When I instructed them to hold on, their first instinct was not to grip the boat but to hold on to one another. Their small hands intertwined without hesitation.
That is faith.
That is trust.
That is love.
As adults, we’re always searching for something solid to cling to when life gets stormy. We forget that sometimes the most stable things aren’t what we can see or build but what we feel and believe. We search aimlessly for stability in the temporary while the most solid foundation we have is each other.
Two little girls in a sea of choppy waters have given me more faith in the human race than anything I’ve seen in a long time. Our hearts are heavy with grief as our entire nation mourns the loss of so many in Kerrville. We yearn for something to hold onto, something that makes sense in a world filled with chaos.
It is through the interlocking of hands that we may find our answers.
Love. Faith. Each other. That’s what steadies us in the storm.
Cherimie Crane Weatherford is the Executive Director of the Freedman Arts District and owner of SugarBelle. She lives with her husband and daughter on Ladys Island.
