You don’t need me to tell you that, in this life, it’s easy to be complacent. We become very accustomed to all the little comforts that are part of our everyday experience, and for that reason – we hardly notice them.

Instead, our focus is often diverted to the minor annoyances we encounter, such as a traffic light that turns red just as we approach it, or a slow poke in the grocery store check-out line. We can be quick to frown if the take-out pizza is slightly over-done . . . or our favorite team is on a losing streak.

But every once in a while, we are yanked back to the reality of just how lucky we are, and how silly it is to ever be bothered by small stuff.

So it was for Sir Beads and me with Hurricane Sandy this week. Thank you all so very much for your concern. It was a tough few days but there are those who had (and continue to have) it so much worse than we did. My heart aches for them because the taste of trouble we experienced has given me a true understanding of their situation.

We were without power for 3 days. For us, that translates into no cooking, no lights, no water, and no heat. We had prepared as best we could but, believe me, when you are in the middle of a multi-day power outage, preparations can feel very inadequate.

After some dark and chilly days, the power returned. The sound of the heat rising through the pipes was literally music to our ears. We could once again have a steaming cup of tea and a blissfully hot shower. The cold that had settled into every corner of the house was slowly dissipating. Bathroom flushes would again be automatic with just the push of a lever – not accomplished by pouring buckets of water (from our previously filled bathtub) to trigger them. We had power again and were simply elated. As we looked around at the backup of laundry, dishes, and a refrigerator full of food that would have to be discarded – we were unfazed.

In short, going through the experience has left us feeling as rich as Midas.
And, this time, I think it will take a lot longer for us to drift away from fully appreciating our blessings . . .

Hugs for all and special prayers for those who are still in distress,