We lost power on Saturday afternoon and did not get it back until Monday at 1:00 a.m.  No lights, no cooking, no TV, no computer, no video games.  To my children, it was like the end of the world.  What do children do without these “basic necessities” of life?  Well, they got a glimpse into my own childhood for a few days.

 

We played cards and board games.  We went out to eat.  We read “Little House on the Prairie” by candlelight.  We slept together in my king size bed with every blanket we own.  We talked.  Sometimes we talked about how difficult it was without power. Other times, we just chatted about simple things.   And we all went to sleep at the same time.

 

At one point, my pre-teen son made an observation, one that was far beyond his years in my opinion.  He said, “Mom, I think we’ve gotten closer as a family during this power outage.”  Trying not to act too surprised at his comment, I replied, “Really? Why is that?”  He said, “Well, we’ve been talking more and spending more time together as a family because we are not watching TV and you not working on the computer. It’s been nice.”  Yes. It was nice. 

 

But we are back to the real world now.  Thankfully, we’ve been blessed with near summer-like weather after the storm and my kids have been playing outdoors since schools are still closed.   For a brief moment, we all experienced what childhood was like when I was growing up – when families talked to each other, TV was a treat, and computers? Well, they didn’t exist. 

 

I felt completely powerless during those few days, both literally and figuratively.   Now, not only will I never take my heat and lights for granted, I will treasure the time that my children and I shared and know that even without power, many powerful things can happen.