fault lines

Bad things happen when there are faults and pressure. Stress builds up within the system, and eventually something has to give, usually with disastrous results. A system can only withhold so much stress before something must shift.

If we're talking land masses, you end up with an earthquake.

If we're talking family, someone gets sick, hurt, or upset.

There are teams of scientists around the world trying to measure just how much stress will trigger an event and what the outcome will be. They also try to predict when and where the next seismic event will be.

If your family is fortunate enough to have experts working with you, they can help predict how stressors will impact family members and work to reduce the stress upon the family unit, member by member. The planet does not have this advantage. Nor does my family, despite our best efforts to be pro-active.

Now, I'm no expert, but I see disaster looming for my family. We're having all kinds of pre-emptive quakes, and all I can do is clean so we'll have a decent place to duck and cover. This is not enough, and knowing this is an awful place to be.