Friday, November 21, 2014

BLESSING IN DISGUISE

         
         
         Our central heating unit went out last Thursday night, just as the first big cold front of the season brought freezing temperatures to South Texas. Fortunately, we know a wonderful HVAC contractor named Javier Colvarrubias, owner-operator of Southern Comfort Heating and Cooling. He installed a new unit for us this summer, and quickly sent a technician who diagnosed the problem: the circuit board on our brand new heater/AC unit had gone out. Fortunately, the equipment was still under warranty, so there was no cost involved. Unfortunately, the part wasn't available until Mondaymorning, so our house was mighty cold over the weekend, with the indoor temperature hovering around 50 degrees.

GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS           
            Fortunately, we have plenty of sweaters and blankets, so it was simply a matter of bundling up during the day, snuggling up at night, and huddling around the stove cooking big pots of soup and baking pear cake in the afternoon. Not such a bad deal.
            Javier came out first thing Monday, only to discover that it wasn't the circuit board after all. Apparently, there was some problem with the propane converter valve, something that the other technician had missed. So Javier ended up shuttling back and forth to the parts warehouse, making three separate house calls on Monday morning, afternoon and night. But he was determined to repair the unit, even though it was almostmidnight before he finally got the heat back on. Boy, did it feel good when the warm air started blowing out of those vents at last!

GOOD FORTUNE
            Lying in bed a little while later, spooning up to my sweet partner once again, my heart was flooded with gratitude for our warm, cozy home. How easy it is to take this - and all our many blessings -- for granted; the blessing of Javier, who in the middle of his busiest week of the year, spent almost the whole day at our house without earning a single penny, determined to solve the mystery and get the job done right. For the luxury of being able to call him in the first place, knowing that we had enough money to afford whatever repairs would be required, whether or not a warranty was involved. For the abundance of sweaters and blankets that had kept us comfortable; for the pantry full of food that had kept our bodies fueled. For the knowledge that this was just a temporary inconvenience and discomfort, that relief was on the way. And that if, for any reason, we wanted to leave the cold behind, we had the resources to get in our car and drive to any one of a number of friends who would gladly have opened their comfortable homes to us.
            Drifting off to another good night's sleep, I found myself wondering: how many other gifts and blessings do I take for granted on any given day?
            This Sunday afternoon, immediately following the Morning Circle - and again next Thursday - we'll celebrate Thanksgiving by sitting down to a large, festive meal with family and friends, and we'll undoubtedly say a prayer and/or raise a toast in the spirit of Thanksgiving. But there's need to wait until then to feel grateful for the love and abundance that surrounds us today and everyday. Right now, for instance, would be a very good time to do so.

With gratitude and hopes that you, too, find yourself surrounded with blessings right now,
        Rudi

PS: If you should need heating/air conditioning service sometime, I wholeheartedly recommend Javier and his Southern Comfort Heating and Cooling company. In my experience, they provide good work, done right, at a fair price.
 

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