When Things Don’t Go as Planned

This morning, my husband and I woke up to the power being out.

At first, it didn’t make sense. Our bills were paid, everything should have been working, and yet nothing was. No electricity, phones barely charged, computers running low and both of us needing to work from home.

A situation that, not too long ago, would have completely unravelled us.

We would have been stressed, reactive, and frustrated with each other. Arguing, not because of the situation itself, but because of how quickly we let it take over.

But today felt different.

Of course, it was still stressful. We spent hours trying to figure out what had happened. Calling, going back and forth on online chats, being told our payments couldn’t be found. Eventually, we went in person to our electricity provider, only to be met with little help and a lot of frustration.

By that point, we were exhausted. Running around, trying to keep up with work, stopping at a coffee shop just to charge our devices and stay connected. It would have been easy to let the day spiral.

But it didn’t.

Somewhere along the way, without really saying it out loud, we stayed on the same side of things. We talked through it instead of against each other. We stayed calm, even when nothing was being resolved as quickly as we wanted.

Eventually, after nearly ten hours, we made it to the head office and spoke to someone who actually helped. Our payments were found, everything was sorted on their end but still, no immediate fix. The power won’t be back on until tomorrow.

And yet, the day doesn’t feel like a loss.

We’re home now. Cooking dinner with one candle, phones hot-spotting just enough to get by, making sure one computer stays charged so we don’t lose connection completely.

It’s not ideal. It’s not comfortable. But it’s okay.

Because what could have been a day filled with tension, frustration, and disconnection… wasn’t.

We stayed steady. We stayed kind to each other. We moved through it, instead of letting it take over. And I think that’s what I’m taking from today.

Not that everything needs to go right.

But that even when things feel out of sorts, the way we respond matters more than the situation itself.