I understand the angst of family ties. Most of my family live in Michigan. I have always felt sorry for them but also realized that Michigan had made their own bed. I was very happy to see last night they may have wakened from the nightmare.
” they may have wakened from the nightmare. “
Perhaps a more apt metaphor might be ‘emerged from the storm cellar’...
When ya waken from a nightmare, the world is much the same as it was before ya went to sleep....
You emerge from a storm cellar to incomprehensible damage that is going to take time, effort, and resources to set right....