Oh Daily Prompt, you got me two days in a row.  Good for you.  Today’s challenge – Honestly evaluate the way you respond to crisis situations. Are you happy with the way you react?

When it came to handling a crisis, my father was Superman.  His cape is currently bronzed and on display in the vault of my memories.  He had the rare gift of being able to not dwell on the crisis itself, but instead focus on the necessary course of action that needed to immediately follow.  I owe him a great debt of gratitude for passing that trait on to me.

There have been many moments in my life that I have had to rely on the sturdy cape that was hidden so delicately beneath the shroud of my clothing.  It has never once failed to unleash itself when required, and last summer it was put to the test.

I work at a large family resort where chaos can ensue at any moment.  We entertain approximately 350 guests each week and we have been lucky to have avoided any major catastrophes, but last summer the God’s of Fate pointed their fickle finger and decided our time had come.

The front switchboard phone had been ringing incessantly, and I picked up one of the calls.  The sheer panic on the other end of the phone made my heart accelerate to ten times its normal rhythmic beat.   The woman on the other end of the phone was sobbing and between her deep inhalations, the words “my husband is having a heart attack” fell like scrabble tiles onto my desk.

She stayed on the line while I was simultaneously dialing 9-1-1 and alerting our lifeguards to the location of the room the gentleman was staying.  Once they were on route, I contacted the owner of our Water Ski program who is a volunteer fire fighter and first response.  There were five staff members at her suite in a matter of two minutes.  After directing the ambulance to the proper location, the minutes that followed felt like days.  The wife, daughters and grandchildren were seated cross-legged on the lawn across from his room, their tears saturating the grass.  It wasn’t until several hours later that we found out the dear man had not survived.

Even through what was undeniably one of the most traumatic experiences in their lives, and mine for that matter, the family was extremely gracious and thankful for our quick action and thoughtfulness.  It was not only my cape that flew proudly that day, but I’m certainly glad it has weathered each crisis that it has been called to handle.  It never falters, and is ready at a moment’s notice to attempt mend whatever is broken without a second thought.