Last night, I woke up in the middle of the night to
take a sip of water, and noticed the outdoor temperature gauge was at "minus 14 degrees" Fahrenheit. That was without the wind chill which was supposed to make it feel like it was 40 below. Brrrrr.
I decided to get up and check the snowfall, which turned out to be much less than predicted. But when I pulled the covers off, it felt colder than usual in our home. I checked the thermostat and it was 64 degrees.
I have the heat programmed to 67 degrees at night, so I chalked those few degrees colder to it being so frigid outside and went back to bed.
I woke up at 5:30 a.m. and the house was quite cold. I checked the thermostat again, and it had dropped all the way down to 62 degrees. I messaged a few neighbor friends, who I knew would be awake, to ask if they were having similar issues, but they were not.
That was when I let out a big sigh. Something was wrong with the heat. I dressed in some warm clothes and thick fuzzy socks, made a pot of coffee, and got our fireplace going. My husband woke up and changed the furnace filter, just in case it was that. I then called the heating company.
I was delighted when they answered so early and said they would check on our system within a few hours. Wow...on a holiday weekend!
When I heard the knock at our door, I felt a sense of relief. We had heat again within 30 minutes of the heating technician's arrival. Apparently, water was building up in one of the motors, which he fixed...and did so inexpensively.
We are so grateful for that heating company and their knowledgeable, experienced, friendly technician.
This got me thinking about the hustle and bustle of Christmas...and all of the TO DOs that often accompany the holiday season. It's so easy to forget, or take for granted, the many blessings in our lives.
Not everyone has a warm home to live and sleep in; some don't even have a warm coat. Some folks barely have a morsel to eat. Some don't have anyone visiting during the holidays...and maybe not any other time during the year either. And how often do we think about those who are living in dangerous situations...ranging from domestic violence to high-crime
neighborhoods?
I saw a sign in a coffee shop last week that said, "The things we take for granted, someone else is praying for."
There is so much truth in that.
This Christmas Eve, let us all mindfully and thoroughly appreciate what we have. Let us give generously...of our minds, hearts, hands, thoughts and prayers, and maybe financially too when we can.
May we all work together, as fellow human beings, to generate the warmth that someone else needs this Christmas Eve and the new year ahead.
No matter what holiday you're celebrating this winter, may you be wrapped in a blanket of comfort and love.
