Last night, our power went out just before dinnertime. I’m not sure what caused it, but the whole neighborhood went dark just after sundown.
It was an instant reminder of how much we rely on electricity and how much I take it for granted. We need it for practically everything! Lights. Heat. TV. Wi-Fi. Music. Microwave. Refrigerator. Stove. Phones. Day in and day out, we use all of these luxuries without a giving them a second thought, never needing to wonder and worry if they’ll actually work. They just do.
When the house went black, the batteries were shot in most of our flashlights (this happens when you have kids who love to build forts). So, I lit as many candles as I could find in the dark. The kids found some small LED lights and made up some sort of bizarre game out of chasing each other with the lights and burping repeatedly (yep, I’m a proud mama). I could hear them laughing hysterically, but could barely see them as they ran circles around the kitchen! giggle. burp. giggle. burp. The perfect combo for a seven year old and two year old!
Three and a half hours later, we all cheered when the lights – and practically everything else in our house – suddenly turned back on. And though the candlelight evening was lovely, I’m feeling really grateful for so many modern amenities that I often take for granted. Life is good. And light is good.