And So It Ended...and Began

Yes, it had officially ended. No longer would there be the same quietness in the house. No longer would there be candlelit nights spent listening to talk radio. No longer would we just be hanging out together in the living room just talking and laughing. No longer would we so many different, wonderful smells from all the candles we had lit, or as a friend from church so eloquently put it..."the house smelling like Fruit Loops". No longer would there be the simple ease in each day. No longer would we wake up to a cold house, or experience going to sleep with blankets and comforters and sweatshirts and gloves. No longer would there be that opportunity to walk outside in the pitch black and see the amazing brilliance of so many more stars than we normally see. No longer would I take Bella out at night and enjoy the smell of fireplaces and wood burning stoves. No longer would there be that slight haze during the day because of so many stoves and fireplaces going at night. No longer would there be those casual trips to Evergreen Walk with mom and Bella almost every day...visiting different stores, meeting new people and dogs. No longer would we be eating a myriad of different foods from different places as we tried to keep ourselves fed. Yes, many things that I enjoyed and some things that I didn't necessarily care for, had ended. And then it began...
The alarm was now going off again. The getting ready and making sure to have everything for the day began again. Leaving mom and Bella home alone began again. The stress of life began again....making sure mom had her medicine in the morning, making sure Bella had water and food before I left, driving on the highway in traffic, running around to stores or appointments after school. Even mom, who had no problems during the power outage, woke up Monday morning and before I was getting ready to leave for school said she could not find her glasses. I quickly tried to look for them, but could not find them. At some point in the morning my mom said something, when I asked what she said, she just told me that she was talking to the TV. Oh my! Yes, it began again. When I got back from school she still hadn't found them. I looked more thoroughly around the house and finally found them under her bed. Yes, things were getting back to normal, some ways good, some ways...well, a little stressful. Thankfully I have great memories to go back to. So ends our journey through Storm Alfred. It may be over, but will never be forgotten.
Lord, it's funny how we think we can't live without certain things, but when it comes down to it and we have no choice we make it. Then, it's funny that when those things come back, we are sometimes ready to go back to simpler times. Thank you for those simpler times, but thank you for the blessing and ease of things that we are able to experience and enjoy today.