Sunshine, sweatshirts and bubbles, to ice storm and no power, and then back to sunshine and sweatshirts. Mother Nature once again kept us on our toes last week. Of course, right before Easter weekend, causing headaches and changes of plans for many leading into the holiday weekend.
I can’t help but notice the timing of each of Mother Nature’s major storms this winter. Whether you have religious beliefs or simply believe in the wonders of the universe and what it plans out for us, it’s hard not to believe that someone is trying to tell us something. Each major storm seems to have been right before a holiday. Could this have a meaning behind it?
I can’t help but wonder if it’s the powers that be, reminding us to not take for granted everything that we have. Many homes are still without power. When we go without power for more than even just a few hours sometimes, we realize how truly reliant we are on electricity. Heat, water, communication, food, entertainment; almost everything we use in our day-to-day lives. All the things we take for granted.
The towns were full of people seeking coffee, gasoline for their generators, last minute groceries, or simply somewhere warm. We never truly are ever properly prepared for storms and power outages, because it is hard to recognize that something major could go wrong with everything we take for granted each day. Fortunately, many in our areas regained power in time to still be able to cook Easter meals, but many families did not have full tables, because some were out cleaning up the debris and damage from the storm, or still trying to restore power for those unfortunate people who had not regained it yet.
Once again, holiday traditions were forced to be adjusted, and perhaps this was for the best. Easter is about sacrifice and resurrection. Maybe Mother Nature was reminding us that sacrifices must be made in order to keep going. If you drove around, you saw families out collecting branches together, cleaning up yards, lending a helping hand to a neighbour or welcoming those without power into their homes for coffee and warmth.
We have become so reliant on technology and resources, which seem to be practically handed to us, that we sometimes forget how to be self reliant and kind. Perhaps this was another chance to resurrect ourselves. To mend relationships, work together, and also simply understand how to improvise and spend quality time with others without the use of technology and screens. Barbeques and wood stoves were used for warmth and cooking. Children were outside playing and discovering the many wonders the melting of snow brings.
No matter what your beliefs and take on this most recent storm may be, Spring is always a time for starting fresh. The warmer weather and sunshine bring life to the sleeping land around us. Do not take for granted the beauty of a changing season. Pause, slow down, soak in the warmth of the sun’s rays, the sound of the geese honking overhead and the smells of the moist ground. Look for the leaf buds starting on the trees, or the green of your perennials peeking out of your flower beds. Feel the joy these changes can bring and embrace them. Enduring and
cleaning up after any storm is always stressful and frustrating, but try to find the silver lining.
Embrace the sacrifices that must be made and find ways to feel renewed and excited. Life is too short to not get back up when you’ve been knocked down.
