On a hot summer day, a blackout occurred in the apartment due to excessive electricity usage. After four hours, the emergency generator was operated, but before long, another blackout occurred. The announcement asking residents to refrain from using electricity except for the refrigerator continued late into the night.
I was worried because I had to move luggage brought from my parents’ house from the parking lot, but I was thankful that the elevator was operating. I was thankful that the apartment stairway lights were on so it wasn’t dark. I was thankful that I could use my phone’s flashlight when going to the bathroom, and that water came out so I could wash. I was thankful that the food in the refrigerator did not spoil. I was thankful that when I opened the window, a gentle breeze came in, and with some fanning, it became even cooler.
Lying side by side with my husband and daughter, we chatted about the hot nights we experienced while staying in India. In India, we would sprinkle water on the floor and sleep with the fan running. When we couldn’t turn on the fan, my husband would fan us so that my daughter and I could sleep comfortably. He also prepared a frozen water bottle wrapped in a towel for us to hug while sleeping. As we talked about past memories, many moments when I had been thankful to my husband came back to mind, and I was thankful again.
There was hardly any inconvenience from the blackout. Rather, I found many things to be thankful for. It seems that the more you give thanks, the more you look for it, the more it wells up.
Through this opportunity, I realized that my attitude toward the situation is more important than the environment itself. I give thanks to Father and Mother for teaching me thankfulness and granting me the conditions to give thanks often.