Spirit of Christmas Present

This posting is a bit later than I wished it to be, however there wasn't much that could be done about it.  I am just now recovering along with many of my neighbors after a severe wind storm came through Washington State and knocked out our power, phones, cable and our lifestyle.  The storm hit on Thursday night December 14.  My house got back power on Tuesday December 19.  We finally got cable today December 20.  There are some still without power.  The winds were major for this area with all of our trees but were made much worse because last month we had some of the largest amounts of rainfall we have ever seen.  Combined with the rain we had a lot of snow that knocked out the city for days.  Very wet soil, along with tall trees and winds exceeding 60 MPH do not make for pleasant times. 

It's amazing how much we depend on many services.  Sure when electricity goes out that means the candles come out.  Of course if this were to happen in the summer it would be somewhat tolerable.  The days are warmer and much longer.  This time of year it's dark before 5pm so the evenings are very, very long.  Not only were they long but they were cold.  The temp inside our house got down to mid 40's.  It was just warm enough for food to spoil but too cold to function well.  Many gas stations were unable to function so fuel became a major commodity. 

Christmas has always been for me and every other kid about gifts.  As a kid I always wanted so much.  I would make my list .  My kids do the same today, although I must say they seem much better about the subject than I was as a child.  The older I get the less I become wrapped up in "stuff".  You see we have been through a down-sizing in our lives and have moved into a smaller house than we once had.  So to survive we have had to get rid of stuff.  As I have watched the stuff go I see things that at one time I was sure I must have.  The problem was I rarely used it.  This stuff just took up shelf space--and now it's gone.  We have cleared it out and we are clearing out more.  So now when I think about new stuff I think, "do I really need it?"  Don't get me wrong I am still a consumer, especially if it comes to technology.

This year however I am looking at gifts in a whole different light.  You see electricity is a big gift that I often take for granted.  The Internet is major.  Wow that has become very important and a big gift.  Food is wonderful and if the refrigerator  and freezer can not keep your food cold then it will spoil and all the sudden Food becomes a big gift.  Being able to sit in a warm house is today a gift.  There are gifts all around that I have taken for granted as if they would always be there.  Today I realize that what I thought would always be there may not some day.  It is important to look around and realize what may be a gift for me.  As I say it seems amazing to just be able to sit here on my computer, type and post this to my blog.  Very Cool...but thankfully not at all freezing cold.  It is nice to sit in my house with a shirt on and not have 2 or possibly 3 other layers on top of that.  Big time gift. 

Gifts are all around and are a blessing much more important than stuff.  Even with the power out we sat around the candles and fireplace and read books and talked and just spent time with our family and with other people.  To be able to share our experiences was also a gift.  It was important to realize the gifts all around before the storm but also to now see that there are even a number of gifts that exist in the storm.  This storm was a literal STORM, but a storm can also be a difficult time of life and I am quite certain although it doesn't always seem like it that there are even gifts during those times.  Thank you for the gift of this Present Christmas!