Breakfast by candlelight

This morning of all the things I could be grateful for, I can’t help but exude gratefulness for candles. I went to bed in the absence of electricity and woke up in the absence of it yet again. I suppose I should be grateful for electricity – when we do have it- and I am, but not today. It has permeated our lives to such an extent that for a moment this morning I thought to myself “why am I even awake? There’s nothing I can do?”

We have cultivated our lives around a constant electric pulse.

I am not complaining, I am the first one to put my hand up and say I use what is available to the full extent. Heck, my journal is online for crying out loud. As is my grocery list, all my contact numbers, my photo albums, my alarm clock, my workouts, my music, my podcasts, hell even my watch needs recharging. Ava who is 4, knows to check devices to see if they are “full of energy”.

So for a moment I sat there thinking “now what?”

Luckily my phone was charged so I went to one of my old mediation courses that I had previously downloaded. Meditation in the dark. Interesting. Are my eyes open? Are they closed?

Then I sat there again. In the still, quiet darkness listening to the hum of generators in the neighbourhood (the birds were not even up yet, should I be concerned about that?) when I realised hang on, my candles! They are not just pretty ornaments, some of which are particularly aromatic, they can bring light! With a flick of my wrist and the candle lighter, there was light. Albeit dim, flickering and inappropriately romantic for 5.10am in the morning, there was light none the less.

Stretching? That did not require electricity. Energy on my part yes, but not electricity.

Making the kids lunches by candlelight? Also didn’t require electricity. Creativity as to what to feed the fussy one yes. And the acceptance that only the packet of mini cheddars will most likely be consumed so wasted effort is a given for this task.

Reading? I may need to up my candle stock, but again that does not require energy.

Luckily I don’t do caffeine (please please don’t judge me, I’m not crazy, please can we still be friends?) so I don’t require a kettle but I do do Berocca and all I need to do is ensure I get the water in the glass and aim the fizzy tablet at the centre. No need for electricity there either.

Muesli and yoghurt? No electricity required. Just candlelight to ensure I put the right cereal in the bowl. Pronutro or Fruitloops and yoghurt is not a combination I am willing to try out.

So here I am, writing away in my gratitude journal and having breakfast by candlelight. I would say things could be worse, but I don’t want to jinx it. After all this is supposed to be a gratitude piece.