Originally I was going to write about something else this week, but that can wait. What’s been on my mind this week it the same thing on every American’s mind: weather and its disastrous consequences. Specifically, the record-breaking hurricanes decimating the continental southeast and countless other islands. And the more I see about the people evacuating, the people losing everything, the insanity of it all, the more I think about how lucky I am to live where I do. True, I curse lake effect snow as much as the next Erieite, but the lake isn’t going to rise up and swallow us. (At least, probably not yet.)

I saw a post on Facebook that talked about what to do in times like this, besides the obvious humanitarian things: embrace what you love. Focus on the little things, hugs, music, friends. So that’s what I’ve been doing recently. I get hit with these little moments while scrolling through social media that make me think about the fragility of it all for some people. By the time this article publishes, Irma will have made its way through Florida and the United States will be greatly changed. I am putting myself in their shoes as they are currently preparing for the oncoming storm, and think about what I would want to do as my world changes before my eyes.

When tragedy strikes, normal rules fall away and we see the best of humanity. We find out exactly what it means to be a human. To be human is to help other humans. To be human is to create something beautiful. To be human is to have free will. So I sing instead of doing homework because I can. I binge-watch an entire season of a show because I can. I sleep in because I can. Because I have a bed. I have a roof over my head. I have free time to do my homework, and my worries are no more extensive than what homework I have left to do. I can think about my future later. Right now I am a human. I can enjoy a two-hour family dinner as we talk about all sorts of nothing. I can pray for my family in Florida and not complain about the rain. I can put down my work and talk to my friends for a while.

If you are in the path of the hurricane or any other disaster, stay safe. If you are safely up in the north like me, this week, do something you love. Take some time to do something for yourself, because tomorrow you might not have it. In these uncertain times, it can all be wiped away, whether by flood or nuke. Be a human by doing something human. And then do what you can to help those affected by these natural disasters rocking our world.