07/07/2026
With power outages comes peace💡 I would be lying if I didn't admit that I am a weeee but jealous that all we had was a little flicker (stay with me here, especially if you're frantically trying to clean up the aftermath of the storm and trying to just survive right now).
A few years back, we had a storm, had trees down all over, half the garden ripped to shreds, and we didn't have power for 5 days.
It was one of the best weeks of my life. ❤️ That week, we learned how to do everything "pilgrim style" as I called it. And now I am obsessed with living "pilgrim style." You might hear me yelling BUSHCRAFT from time to time when you stop by the stand - that week spurred my obsession.
Now, it was still a far stretch from "survival skills," but it gave us the opportunity to LEARN and to be RESOURCEFUL. It challenged us to figure out things we take for granted and to prepare for the next time (it's only a matter of time). We used our gas grill to brew coffee, one cup at a time with a filter. We learned to flush toilets with pool water (I realize this is a luxury not everyone is afforded), we learned that canning drinking water is necessary, and to start filling buckets with hot water for cleaning when the storms start. We learned to keep a stock of firewood and big pots, we learned that deep freezers stay cold a long ass time if left closed, we learned that food can look a LOT different and still be plentiful and sustaining, we learned that shadow puppets and shadow dancing are a ton of fun, and so is stargazing, that candles should be kept on hand at all times, that we are capable of so much more than we realize, and that it might take a long time to get the mess cleaned up, but you will eventually.
But the best thing we learned was that life is LOUD. Until EVERYTHING is shut off - completely OFF without a trace of power, silence is not available to this world. The background hum of appliances and computer fans is deafening, though we overlook it.
That week, we didn't HAVE to do any of those things. We chose to, and I would make that choice 1,000 times over.
If you've been a victim to damage, outages, and are just absolutely stressing out - breathe. The mess will get cleaned up, it will be okay. Things will be fixed in time. And I encourage you - so deeply from the bottom of my heart - to take this time to really ENJOY the silence. Instead of taking up residence at a hotel or with family, or before getting takeout, challenge yourself to learn something new, to face the challenge instead of running from it. Be uncomfortable - that's the only way to grow. Take off work, cook up what's in the fridge over a fire before it spoils, boil rain water and figure out how to use it to wash up, to wash laundry, to clean the house, enjoy a night of campfire stories rather than a night in front of the TV, pass the time looking at the big, beautiful night sky and discover how small all of this is compared to the mystery of the universe above.
You might just realize that the rainbow has already appeared...but only if your eyes are open to see it. ⛈️🌪️☀️🌈
