Weather in Texas can be capricious!
On Tuesday it was in the high 70’s. By Thursday night we were in the midst of on ice storm with below freezing temperatures. Friday dawned, with no heat in my house and no end in sight due to the 200,000 plus outages, so I took refuge at a nearby hotel. Though my car was frozen shut, I was lucky to have a driver who came to pick me up and take me to the hotel where a nice warm, clean room awaited. Room service, though not the best, was satisfactory. I slept safe and secure.
This morning, I woke and tried to determine if the power was back on in my neighborhood. I wanted to go home and I didn’t like the feeling of being trapped, under house arrest, out of control and totally in the dark – no pun intended – about the situation at my home and how long I would have to stay away. Luckily, a neighbor called to tell me power had been restored, I called the same driver and was delivered to my house.
On the drive through the icy streets of Dallas, I tried to imagine how it would have felt to be a victim of Katrina or Sandy…driven from one’s home, taking only a few essentials, not knowing when one would return. The difference for me was that I knew when I got home all would be as I had left it: lovely, comfortable, fridge stocked with organic food, the heat back on. All would be right in my world, nothing totally destroyed or uninhabitable.
How lucky I am. How much we take for granted. How grateful I feel.