Storm Reflections

The metro area of New York made history over the past 2 weeks. We had weather from three seasons! In my 45 years of living here I never saw this before. Hurricanes are usually end of the summer events for us. Winter storms are generally a January or earlyFebruary phenomena   when we have our 6 weeks of deep freeze. Fall is Long Island's best kept secret. Indications are that we will return to its mid temperatures over the weeked when temperatures will be in the 60's.

This morning the snow Athena left us and the power outages that were Sandy's signature are leaving. The snow quicker than the outages and the gas lines. We are now rationing gas here. This will just make the lines longer. My heart goes out to those who lost homes as well as those who remain in their homes without power or heat, particularly those  with children and the elderly.

My power returned earlier this week after 8 days. Several older folks who had left the neighborhood to go to be with their adult children during the outage rejoiced when I tod them the power had been retored to our street. They came back home that night!

This morning, as I drank a hot cup of coffee I remembered last week, when I had to go to one of  my daughters' homes or Burger King to get it. I realized how spoiled I am. America has done that to its residents. I thought of Pastor Lyswa Reee's wife in the interior of the Dominican Republic making hot cocoa for me a few Januarys ago. They have no electricity or indoor  plumbing! In China the government shuts off the heat in all apartment houses while it is still cold enough to snow! I remenber going into shops  two years agp and seeing shopkeepers bundled up as they waited for customers. Its interesting how the temporary loss of something I took for granted like electricity brings back these memories. 

This Thanksgiving I am more thankful than ever. My prayers are with our nation. One of my prayers is that we will remember that first Thanksgiving in Plymouth, Massachusetts.