A Bit of Light

The wind is a powerful force.

It can be disruptive, destructive, and dangerous.

On Thursday, December 14th, the Seattle area was hit by fierce winds gusting to about 70 mph. More than a million homes and businesses experienced power outages. During the overnight hours, the temperatures dipped below freezing.

The power to our home kicked in the following Monday…but as I write this, a week later…thousands of people are still without electricity.

While we lacked power, we were fortunate enough to still have hot water and a wood stove that provided some heat, but many people had neither. Around four thirty in the afternoon the sun set. For the rest of the day and night, we maneuvered around our frigid home by using a Coleman lantern, flashlights, and candles.

No Internet. No television. In order to conserve remaining energy on our cell phones, we only turned them on to make important calls and to hear messages left for us.

Directly, just behind our home, a small cluster of homes never lost power. Throughout the storm and after, they proudly displayed colorful Christmas lights on their homes and yards. From the outside looking in, the people spared seemed oblivious to the surrounding community struggling to keep warm in freezing temperatures.

Were the people in the homes with power more deserving of light and heat?

I wonder if I experienced a small piece of what the “have nots” feel at times toward the people who “have”. There must be times when the poor who work hard, but have little, struggle with watching the rich appear oblivious to the people around them and the tough situations they live in.

Yet, I knew my situation of living without some comfort or conveniences would evidentially end. That’s not reality for everyone.

I’ve been hit with a bit of light…illuminating my heart with a little more compassion and understanding…

May we all grow to be more compassionate.
Dawn