When you look back at this picture you might remember the way she clung to you every time the thunder boomed. How she followed you into the bathroom and wouldn’t let you put her down because she was scared of the storm. You may remember the sleepless summer night when everyone piled into one bed. Her small voice asking question after question late into the night until finally drifting off to sleep. And how that same sweet voice woke you before sunrise when you could’ve used a few extra hours.
You may remember getting the notice that the power would be off for a whole other night and letting out a frustrated sigh. Her sweet voice again asking what’s wrong and the way you tried to explain to her how electricity works. You might recall packing a bag to stay with family and feeling frustrated as she cried the entire time, overtired and needing your full attention. That same sweet voice whispering to you late into the night with excitement over being at a new place. How you both slept in very late the next morning, feeling grateful for air conditioning and for family hosting you.
You’ll remember hearing the news that the power was back on and how you packed up all the refrigerated items to return home. And you’ll surely remember the feeling when you got everything back in the fridge and the power went off, yet again. You’ll remember kneeling down in front of her small face and asking her to name all of the things we’re grateful for. Remembering her saying, she’s grateful for french-fries and how that made you laugh. You’ll remember how you piled back into one bed for nap time and how the only one that napped was the dog. And you definitely won’t forget the power returning and hearing her animated voice say, “The lights are back on!”
I hope when she sees this picture, she remembers the way I held her tight when the thunder boomed. How I distracted her with silly songs. How I showed her a flashlight for the first time and how we used it to read a Highlights magazine just like the one I had when I was little. I hope she remembers helping me stir the soup on the gas stove and sharing it with me in my lap. Or how we piled together books upon books to read in bed with our flashlight. I hope she recalls the excitement of getting to sleep in the big bed and even though it thundered throughout the night, she felt safe in mama’s arms.
I hope she remembers what fun it was to stay over her cousins’ house for a sleepover and eat breakfast with them the next morning. I hope she remembers all the cuddles and how we never went anywhere in the house without each other. How we played “restaurant” for hours and hours. I hope she remembers the way we both cheered when the lights turned back on for good. I hope she looks back on this picture with fond memories of being a kid in a summer storm when the power went out.
When I was a little girl, any time the power went out, it was an exciting event. There was no TV to distract anyone. We’d all huddle into one room with a candle or flashlight and play a favorite board game like “Scrabble” or “Clue.” We’d eat ice pops or ice cream from the freezer and we’d stay up later than usual.
When the power went out this past weekend, I tried to recreate some of those same feelings for my daughter. After the first sleepless night, I felt frustration and an eagerness for things to go back to normal. While my daughter’s sleepless night also caught up with her a few times throughout her day, her kid-like wonder always brought me back to the present. I hope when she looks at this picture, she carries the same feelings I have from when I was a kid. I hope I was able to create some of that magic for her.
