It’s only been 36 hours, but it feels like forever.
Yesterday, my home lost electrical power due to a wind storm (which in my book I like to call a land hurricane). Wind gusts came speeding through between 25 and 100 miles per hour. These gusts knocked HUGE branches out of neighboring trees right onto our power lines and narrowly missed landing square on the roof. (It did hit the roof and landed on the shed instead.)
Unfortunately or maybe fortunately, the temperatures, which usually like to hang out between 80 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit, fell to the 40s, 50s, and 60s. (Fall is coming and Winter is close behind.)
This loss of electrical power means my home has no heat or AC, no way to cook food, and no lights when the sun goes down.
How am I doing through all this? I’m a little cold, and I’m discouraged because all of our cold food from the fridge and freezer is wasted – money in the trash. My anxiety is also higher than usual because my needs can’t be met in their usual way, and I’m exhausted which leads to napping. (I did get woken up from my nap when my puppy rolled off the bed with a loud thump. She’s ok though no worries!)
There are so many little things we take for granted in life that we shouldn’t.
- Our health
- The shelter of our homes
- Our food and the convenient ways we aquire it, store it, and cook it
- Basic utilities that allow us to regulate the temperature in our homes, wash our hands, drink clean water, and see in the dark.
- The easiness of charging our phones, computers and other smart devices
- Having internet access
- The ability to call for help
- Having home insurance
All of these things I take for granted. We as a society take for granted. But they are blessings which should be counted, acknowledged, and given thanks for every day.
One other blessing I want to acknowledge is that, even though the land hurricane took out my power when it caused the giant tree branches to drop into my yard, the tree branches didn’t come crashing into my home or my car.
I am also grateful that it’s colder outside instead of hot as hell because living without AC is a lot harder than living without heat – especially when the world isn’t frozen yet.
So, let this be a humble reminder to be grateful for each blessing we’ve been given big and small. The more we are grateful the more blessings we’ll receive, the more love we’ll feel, and the more kindness will win.