Stop Right There: Allowing for Tears after the Tornado

My 13-year-old daughter started animating the morning after a tornado blew through our town of Mount Juliet, TN, leaving a path of heart-breaking destruction.  At first, it was a way for her to express her feelings.  It then became a way for her to speak to others affected by the storm and direct people to give to The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.  When she first showed me her completed animation, I was amazed by its heart and simplicity.  
 
One scene in particular continues to stay with me.  When the boy grabs hold of the extended hand, he bursts into tears.  Rather than stifle them, the touch allows his tears to flow freely and the animation stops right there. 
 
It doesn’t end on a sunny note (even though she wrote earlier in the video, “It’s going to be okay…We’re in this together.”).  Having the promise of things inevitably being okay does not mean we are (or someone else is) okay in the moment.  It does not mean we need to stop our tears or think there’s nothing to cry about (even if someone does have it worse). 
 
There is a time to leap into action, to encourage each other that all will be okay, to gather in churches to sing praises and offer thanksgiving, to share Scriptures and words of hope to find strength for the road ahead. 

There is also a time, especially as the shock wears off, to allow for tears, both individually and communally, and stop right there.