04/11/2025
Gratitude Letter to Brother Typhoon
Dear mighty brother Typhoon, it may appear unusual and irregular to raise our hearts to you in joyful wonder, for in the past generations you have been regarded as a threat that humankind and the rest of the world must fear. But today, we welcome you in gratitude as a necessary event on this planet. You are part of the Creator’s wisdom that guides the beautiful course of the universe.
We acknowledge our vulnerability before you. We are not masters, after all, but fragile creatures who cannot escape your breath. With roaring winds and rivers in your hands, you remind us how easily our walls, our roofs, and even our pride can fall. We have mistaken arrogance for strength and have confused dominion with care. Both good and bad alike must endure your passing.
You do not come to punish us. Since you visit us several times a year, it should no longer be a surprise when your footsteps approach again. You arrive in rhythmic regularity, giving us time to prepare, to flee, to learn. You are not cruelty, but correction — shaping us into humble and wiser beings.
You are not our foe. We do not ask that you spare us and our loved ones from your rage. The real enemy is our unpreparedness — our habit of complaining and blaming, our small-minded refusal to own our duties to protect ourselves and one another from the natural risks of living in this world.
And so, we thank you, dear brother Typhoon. Inspire us to grow in humility. When our loved ones cannot defend themselves from your grand fury, teach us to show them charity — to ease their suffering, to provide for their immediate needs, and to live simply in solidarity and compassion.