Most people will tell you that they love a good thunderstorm.  That they find the rain and thunder relaxing and perfect sleeping weather.  I will tell you heck to the no!  I want so desperately to enjoy thunderstorms.  I want to be able to snuggle under the cover and turn on a movie while I watch the lighting flash out my window and listen as the thunder rolls, but I can’t.  The moment the weatherman starts releasing those thunderstorm advisories I go into panic mode.

I am terrified of tornadoes.

The fear is completely irrational and unjustified.  I have never been in a tornado nor do I know anyone who has been injured in one.  I live in North Carolina where we get only a few every 5 years or so but yet the fear inside me is strong.  So strong in fact that when those advisories hit the television I immediately prepare the hall closet.  I move my valuables, my blanket, my radio, and all 5 animals into that closet and we wait.  I can not count how many times JoJo has come home to find the closet prepared for immediate action. He just rolls his eyes and tells me there is nothing to worry about. You see JoJo is from Kansas and if you have ever doubted whether God has a sense of humor then let me clear that one up for you.

It was 7 months into our relationship.  JoJo’s sister was getting married and this was my time to meet JoJo’s entire family. I was going to finally meet the best friends from high school, the cousin, the baby sister.  I was going to get to do something that his best friend, who introduced us, had never been able to do.  I was excited. At least I was excited until he told me we would be traveling to his hometown of Lawrence, Kansas in the middle of tornado season for the wedding.

“what the hell? your sister lives in Georgia”

“Yes she does but she wants to go home to get married”

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I can’t go to Kansas.  What if there is a tornado, or two or three”

I made the trip and I met the family.  Everything was going great until that Saturday afternoon when the skies grew dark, out of no where, and I went into panic mode.  I seriously thought JoJo was going to have to slap me to calm me down.  I called the hotel front desk to find out their tornado procedures.  I watched the news. I listened for sirens.  Then the clouds passed and everyone got a good laugh at me.

I can’t explain where this fear comes from.  All I can see in my head is a tornado touching down while I am trying to save the animals, the kid and myself.  It freaks me out.  It scares the hell out of me.

Do any of you share this fear?