“All I can do is just pour some tea for two, and speak my point of view” bemoans the late Shannon Hoon in “No Rain”. Roon fronted the group Blind Melon in the 90’s before his eventual passing in 1993 (outside of previously featured “Tipitina’s” in New Orleans) of a suspected drug overdose. Yet, the penmanship of the lyric just sticks with me in the same way that adults promised that oatmeal would fill us for the day while we were young. It is carried on the ribs.

I’m not telling you anything new about a great deal of Texans losing power (and water) after record low temperatures moved across the State. You most likely have heard all sides of it. If you want more information, you are free to look it up. However, this week I am interested in talking about powerlessness.

The older I get, the more I can both step aside from situations in my life to better evaluate my role as well as understanding external factors that try to contribute to how results are shaped. I would like to think that I have learned to own what is mine as well as knowing what distinctly is not.

I am working on not confusing the two, as I also find that I am most successful, personally and professionally when I keep my side of the street clean.

This week when the power was out, as the pipes began to freeze, all I could think about how underprepared I felt for this. What originally seemed like a decent plan felt sorely underwhelming. I don’t think anyone expected such a sustained period without power.

However, if I can step aside from the frustrating and draining feelings of being in a place that did not have enough correct resources at the start of the weather event, the lesson I learn is that I don’t have to ever be in that place again. I am grateful to the friends and family who reached out as a supportive ear during the record lows. To that extent, we have made it through the worst of things. In fact, if using the track this week and speaking my point of view next time, I will have tea for two at the ready.

And, in the vein of a better time, I am reminded of San Antonio’s wonderful Parks Department who cultivates a beautiful gem in The Japanese Tea Garden. I found what seemed like a well hidden secret in San Antonio on a much warmer day, but was a serene and gorgeous local getaway. There is plenty of social distancing, as well as nearby snacks to make a small picnic if needed. It may be a far different picture than what many of us experienced without power and water, but good memories are for sure key in accountability as it concerns evaluating what we can do in the trying times.

So, I am raising my tea to y’all this week. Let’s keep looking out for one another, y’all.