It’s been a dramatic week for us here in the city. On Monday, mother nature stormed in and reminded me of a few things.

Five days later – when several are still without power, heat and in some cases, even water (the irony) – it’s hard to remember how just a week ago the pressures of day-to-day life seemed so pressing, so immediate and so important. Funny how natural disasters have a way of giving you an instant reality check.

I’ve lived in the city for 7 years and have experienced a very small number of events in which we are all forced to stop, slow down, and wait something out. The transit strike in the winter of 2005 being the first, the rest being weather/disaster related – this week certainly being the most extreme.

There’s an eerie beauty to silence in a city like New York. Maybe I like it because it forces everyone to spend their time like we introverts prefer – staying indoors, getting cozy, gazing out the window, thinking about things, watching the light change, knitting… 

I was without power for just under 5 days, and though I’m so grateful to be wired again, these quiet days gave me a few things I really needed, too. Slowing down allowed me the chance to take stock on life and reorganize my thoughts and ideas – something I often have a hard time doing at such a busy time of year.

I also got the chance to spend some serious time with my knitting. A very welcome activity in the midst of a frenzied work season. Even in low light, I managed to chronicle my week in swatches. 

Recovery will be long and gradual for a lot of affected areas along the East Coast – and I’m grateful to report that all of us at BT have come away safe and mostly unscathed. We are well.

Thanks, too, to all who checked in on us over the last few days. For me, being reminded of strength in community – both in our knitting world, and our big city – has been the silver lining of this story.