The city of Toronto was hit by Mother Nature and Old Man Winter's wrath, recently. They decided to collaborate and leave their indelible mark on the earth, by encasing everything they touched with ice. Quite a conundrum, that something so harsh and brutal can also be so beautiful and luminous.
I decided to take my camera with me on a walk the other day, to take shots of the ice storm's aftermath. My eyes bulged and my jaw dropped as I strolled around my neighbourhood, as every tree, branch, leaf and flower bud was covered in thick ice. Everything sparkled in the sunlight. It was as if I were looking at nature with a new set of eyes. I simply marvelled at my brand new world.
At the same time, I couldn't help but be utterly thankful to the universe. I luckily had electricity and warmth during the storm, when so many of my peers and family members went without. People left their homes to seek warmth with other hospitable folks who graciously offered them shelter, hot showers, food and kindness. I heard countless stories from people who suffered from being without their 'creature comforts', while at the same time were grateful for the generosity of friends and loved ones. I always say that only when tragedy strikes, do we 'perk up our ears and eyes' and take notice of that which is truly important and valuable. Otherwise, we go about our lives taking everything for granted.
I'm writing this on Christmas Day--the time of year when friends and family all huddle together by the light of their adorned trees, with the exchange of gifts and the sharing of food and drink. It's a time of reflection. The start of a new year is quickly approaching, and with it, come the resolutions. And I say, ENOUGH. Words are one thing, action is quite another.
It took an ice storm in Toronto, the worst our city has likely seen in history, for most of us to regain appreciation for the simple things we take for granted. Internet access, cell phones, heat, electricity, television, hot food--all of these things are more valuable when we are without them, than when we have access to them. Sad, isn't it? But, that's human nature. We all do it.
Here's an idea for 2014: SIMPLY resolve to appreciate your unique life and the many gifts you already possess. If you live in Toronto, look around you and take pictures of the frozen tundra. That way when summer returns, you can really appreciate our balmy weather and the incredible beauty of our magnificent flowers and leafy trees. You can say, 'I survived the ice storm of 2013' with a smile on your face. G-d knows, that other parts of the world have had it WAY WORSE than us. Typhoons, earthquakes, tsunamis--these forces of nature are ultimately devastating.
P.S: ICE MELTS. And we will all live to see the summer of 2014. THANK GOODNESS FOR THAT.
STAY WARM, my dear readers. Happy Holidays to all. I wish you warmth and light, forever and always, and only the very best in the New Year.
