Gratitude

"Begin each morning
by thinking through
what you have to be thankful for."

That's the advice I received when I flipped my Norwegian calendar on this cold morning of January 2nd.

I woke to darkness and silence. The digital clock was blank. No glowing-red numbers. I turned the switch, but the lamp didn't light. I woke my husband saying, "I think the power is out." His wrist watch showed the time at 6:20 a.m. I went to kitchen for matches and a candle. He called the power company from our landline. "We're sorry for the inconvenience," a recording said following automated questions about our location.

Using the candle's glow, I peered out the bathroom window for a look at the thermometer. It read -25F/-32C. Inside, the hallway thermometer read 64F/18C. How long would we have to wait for our power to be restored? Suddenly, I thought about recent newspaper articles describing people on the east coast struck by ice storms and left for days without electricity. Maybe I should have prayed more for their safety and comfort. Where was my compassion then?

Today I could better grasp their predicament. Still, working oneself into panic would serve no purpose. I pulled out my exercise mat to stretch and release tension. As I laid on my back, I watched the candle light dance on the ceiling and wondered how a small flame could make an entire room glow...and then, how that same glow faded as the night sky turned to dawn. Tension - gone.

I crawled back into bed to take the edge off my cold toes. Within the hour, my clock alarm sounded. Power - restored.

I went to the kitchen. This time to turn on the oven. I could now open the refrigerator door. Its motor was running again. I pulled out eggs and apples to mix up the muffins I'd planned to make earlier.

As they baked, I tended our dog. He'd been after me to go out and relieve himself. Now that the furnace was running, I opened the door. "It's cold out there," I warned shutting the door behind him. He left - but not for long. Moments later, his "woof" brought me back to let him inside. My husband mused, "Moose is not a stupid dog."

No, indeed. He's not stupid - but rather grateful. Grateful as are we...

...for a warm house on a cold day
...for automated telephone operators that dispatch reports
...for linemen who fix power problems
...for electricity to run the furnace, the frig, the toilet, the water, and the lights.

But also grateful, for an instant of stillness and silence on a bitter-cold January morning to realize these blessings. May you realize yours too.