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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