A lesson on being content

Today marks 5 full days with no propane (our only way to cook), 3 days with less than 6 hours of electricity (which have only been at night), a day without running water, and 2 kids with 103 fevers this week.

This morning I woke up to one baby who had an explosive diaper in his pack n play. I cleaned him up dragged the pack n play to my back porch where I could clean it later. I got my other baby up and gave him breakfast in his booster seat at the table where he had an explosive diaper. So it is now about 6:30 I have a chair, booster seat, and pack n play on the back porch all covered in poop. My sink is full of dishes. My laundry basket full of poop covered clothes and sheets.  The lack of electricity has caused all the food in the fridge to ruin and its adding to the smell so I throw everything out.

We still have a little water outside where we wash clothes. I clean up all the explosive diaper mess, wash clothes, dishes, and bathe my kids. About that time the electricity comes on and I am thinking oh today isn’t going to be so bad. I put on a movie for my kids and turn on the pump to fill the tank so we can have running water again. That lasted about 20 minutes before the electricity was off again.

I fed my kids lunch a piece of turkey, cheese, and crackers. With no way to cook there isn’t much more I can offer them but they enjoyed it.

Then off to naps on the concrete floor because it’s just too hot to sleep in a bed today.

Grace and Caleb woke up covered in sweat so I decided to bathe them again outside to cool them down.

I am sitting there watching them play in the little bucket replaying the day and wanting to complain when Grace gets a big smile on her face and says “Mom, I’m so happy” Out of the mouth of babes right? I had to stop right there and remember how blessed we really are. There are people who are my neighbors in this town who have never had running water, propane, or electricity in their lives. These very same people are the happiest people you will ever meet.

“Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content.”- Helen Keller