While bundled in blankets and sweaters this morning, I heard a sound that I have been straining to hear for the last few days: the trickle of hot water. With the temperatures dropping, our unheated, un-insulated apartment has been feeling pretty frosty lately, so we are relieved that the city has opened up the taps that bring hot water to our radiators. There is a steady swirl of hot water running through three of our four radiators; I’m not sure why we don’t have heat in the kitchen. To be honest, though, I’m so thankful to be a bit warmer that I don’t really care.
Still, we know that not everyone is celebrating the start of the heating season. The cost of heating has gone up, and since apartment dwellers cannot regulate the temperature, people will be forced to pay for heating whether they can afford it or not. With unemployment increasing, wages being reduced, and costs rising, it is going to be a long and difficult winter for many.
To say that our apartment is warm would be quite an overstatement. The radiators provide little more than enough heat to take the edge off the cold. But, we are immensely grateful that we have heat, and that we can afford to pay for it.
This winter, we hope and pray that the warmth in people’s homes will be accompanied by warmth of heart, and that families, friends, and neighbours will find ways to help one another through the months ahead.
