Harsh weather has been the theme throughout most of the United States this past week. When my husband and I woke up early, the world outside our house slowly began to turn to solid ice. The soft rain that woke us that morning transformed into the sound of thousands of small marbles hitting our metal roof. These miniature ice balls stuck to the trees, vehicles, steps, and grass, freezing everything they touched. The tall bamboo trees in our backyard gradually stooped over and began to freeze in clumps. As I peeked outside the kitchen curtains, they swayed slowly and silently back and forth like giant leafy mammoths, walking towards our house but never quite reaching it. 

The ice was so thick and slippery that we could not go outside at all, so instead, we spent the day cozy by the fire as the power came on and went off throughout the day and night. Being forced to stay in one place like that gave me time to think. Extreme conditions always bring my mind to the past, to those who made it through seemingly impossible situations that were much more uncomfortable than mine; they always inspire me.

We started that morning by splitting extra firewood, making two heaping stacks inside by the wood stove, and filling the wood crib outside the back door. This activity guaranteed that we would stay warm over the next few days despite the temperature being below freezing. Once we were back inside and the cold wrapped tightly around our house, I sat by the wood stove and read Left Behind by Elske Howeler. It is about a Dutch woman in Amsterdam during World War II who hides a Jewish woman; they both have babies they are trying to keep alive and quiet. Elske’s book describes the hunger and cold the entire country suffered during this time, called the Hungry Winter. The people in Amsterdam had their food rationed to 500 calories per day, their power was turned off, and no one had wood to burn to keep warm. In the evenings, these two women drank water, warmed over the fire from a leg of a chair or a few pages of a book. This drink was all they had to fill their stomachs and warm them throughout the frigid night. Although our hands got cold cutting wood, my husband and I knew we could return inside, get warm, and have several options for hot food and drink, unlike the people during the Hungry Winter.

Since we still had power that afternoon, I made raisin-filled cookies, a recipe from my Grandma Waite. She often made food I didn’t have at other places, such as Chocolate Cherry Cake and hand-dipped chocolates. As I cooked, I remembered reading her diary several years ago, where she mentioned that she did not do much laundry on cold, wet days. This was because she didn’t have a dryer, so she had to hang the wet clothes around her house, which made it much colder inside. Remembering her experience made me appreciate the soft hum of the clothes dryer in the room near the kitchen. 

As I baked, I also listened to Adam Young’s album, “Endurance.” Young created an instrumental soundtrack for Ernest Shackleton’s story of his and his crew’s journey on The Endurance. Shackleton’s story is the most incredible adventure I’ve ever learned about. He took 28 men to explore Antarctica. The ice crushed their ship, but they all made it back alive. Whenever I think about their experience, I can’t believe they survived in such extreme conditions with only reindeer sleeping bags and wool clothing. As I listened to the music, my mind moved past the cold outside my window to the bottom of the world, shuffling alongside Shackleton and his men.

On that icy day, thinking back to the Hungry Winter, my grandma, and Shackleton, I was reminded that countless people in the past have struggled through extremely difficult situations. It was inspiring to pause and reflect on how they overcame their seemingly impossible circumstances. My situation was not as desperate as theirs, but I appreciated the uniqueness of my icebound day, which brought me back in time to remember inspiring people from the past.