The power of a positive attitude

Stumbled across this story today, and thought it would be a good one to share. Always good to remember that even when we don't have electricity and all of the modern conveniences it supplies, life does go on...

Here's the link, or read the story below:


The power of a power outage
How one mom turned a simple power outage into a time to reconnect as a family
By Julie Friedman

Having lived in our mountain-top home for 16 years, weathering many storms (evacuated twice due to fires and trapped by road closures), I'm used to the unpredictability of natural disasters. Then torrential rains and lightening on Jan. 21 snapped a power line over our pepper trees. With a flick of the switch (so to speak) the next eight hours was a gift from the heavens.

What a novel experience to be without the tools of modern life -- no phone, television, computer or washer and dryer. Before the daylight dwindled, I caught up on my photo albums, organized my dresser drawers, cleared my desk and relaxed by reading the newspaper.

But the true gift came later in the day after picking up my twin boys from school. We bought pizza, came home, lit candles and ate dinner. With ringside seats by the kitchen window, we watched in amazement as electrical crews worked in the dark, rainy night -- the sounds of thunder providing a musical background.

Many times have I seen these tireless workers ascend to great heights to replace power lines. This time however, with the running commentary of my 12-year-old twins it was fueled with excitement.

My husband and I quizzed our boys on their spelling words, lingering longer than usual in making up sentences for each word. One of my boys even serenaded the electrical workers with his accordion, practicing in the dark by the window where they were outside working. Abandoning the usual nighttime routine of watching television, my husband and I sat with the boys as they got into bed and told stories instead.

Families (ours included) tend to waste hard-earned money on movies, events and other outings, when just being together without an activity can be equally satisfying. The days of families gathering around listening to the radio offered homespun fun. This power outage offered an interlude that harkens back to those days. It gave me a moment to reconnect with family in ways lost due to the gadgets and gizmos that occupy our time and minds.

As if it was all synchronized, the power came on right as it was "lights-off" time for my boys. And what could have been just another uneventful school night turned into a true family adventure that will add to our collection of memories for years to come.

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