Lights Out!

"Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” Chinese Proverb

After a full day of shopping and gumdrop searching yesterday, I arrived back home tired, hungry, and a bit grumpy.... but ready to get some much-needed things done at my house.

Suddenly there was a loud explosion and all of my power went out! (This occurs around this wooded neighborhood every once in while when an unsuspecting squirrel finds its demise in a power station!)

What to do now?

After calling the power company to report the outage, I began to collect some flashlights, batteries, and candles in preparation for the darkness that was just an hour or so away.

The house began to feel quite chilly, so I turned on my gas fireplace in hopes of warming things up a bit and slipped on another sweatshirt.

None of this was making me very happy in that I was on a mission to get so many things accomplished. In my frustration, I began to realize how much we depend on our electricity and don't really appreciate it until it is gone.

Deciding that I might as well give in to the situation, I went into the kitchen pantry to see what I could eat without having to open the refrigerator....and settled on some peanut butter that I spread on some slightly stale crackers. I was so hungry at this point that it tasted like a delicious feast to me! I then got a stack of magazines and catalogs that I hadn't had time to read, put new batteries into my flashlights, and settled in near the fireplace.

As I sat there on the floor trying to read by flashlight, I found myself taking some deep breaths as I began to relax...

Suddenly, the light went out on the flashlight and I was surrounded by darkness- only partly illuminated by my flickering candles.

I got up off of the floor near the fireplace and cuddled up on my couch, stretched out...and, enjoyed the peace and quiet. It was actually quite nice lying there watching the fireplace flames dancing around and seeing the room in the glow of the many candles that were lit nearby.

I tried to move my racing mind away from all of the hubbub of the holiday season...and, instead began to smile as I thought about all of the good things in my life. Trips to visit family coming up...beautiful and healthy grandbabies....dear friends....a home that I love....etc. etc. etc.

It was really a 'forced' respite for me....and I found myself feeling conflicted when the power came back on over four hours later.........

"I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness because it shows me the stars." Og Mandino