As many of you know, we, in the Northeast got hit very hard by the recent freakish October winter storm. Many are still without electricity. Ours went out on Saturday evening and we just got it back late last night.
We are probably the only family in town without a generator or a wood stove (and yes, we are in discussions about this as I write) and things in our house can get pretty cold, pretty quickly.
Because we have kids, some of whom were sick (croup), we ended up at the local Red Cross shelter for a few days. There we had food, warmth, COFFEE, and even showers. Another perk is that we had wi-fi, so even though we were away from home, I was still able to write for my blog, answer some emails, and generally keep up (to a limited degree) on what was going on in the world. (alas, when you are staying in a school, the really fun internet sites like Youtube and Facebook get blocked – much to my kids’ dismay.)
We were at the shelter on Halloween, which, after my kids learned that our town had moved trick or treating out one week, became bearable. Halloween was also the start of nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month.) My son Trevor who had returned to the shelter after his gymnastics night practice waited up with me at the folding tables set up outside the gym where people were sleeping until the stroke of midnight so that I could get in a few words before I went to bed.
In all the confusion, concern, and worry, this was something concrete that I could do.
When life throws you a curve, no matter how dire it seems, there are some things that still need to get done. The kids need to have a schedule and be assured that although things are disrupted, all is well and under control. The animals need to be watered, fed, and kept safe. Older people need to be looked out for. Offers of food, warmth, and transportation are extended to those worse off than you.
And moms who deal with things by writing and assuring themselves that even without electricity, words will still get out, stay up late just to prove that point.
About Wendy Thomas
Wendy Thomas is an award winning journalist, columnist, and blogger who believes that taking challenges in life will always lead to goodness. She is the mother of 6 funny and creative kids and it is her goal to teach them through stories and lessons.
Wendy’s current project involves writing about her family’s experiences with chickens (yes, chickens).
We got our power back late last night after 4 days. We are one of the lucky ones.
