I just got back from a first-hand look at the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy. Five days after the storm hit, I was in New Jersey visiting my family. My mother, who just turned 83, had no power for five days. Since she lives in a rural area, it meant no phone, no heat, no cooking at home and many hours in the car to stay warm for five days.

My two children, who live in a small town five miles away, were far luckier. They only had shorter periods throughout the week without power. Mom refused to take up their offer to stay with them. Why? No particular reason other than she is set in her ways.

Even with four days to recover, the area looked pretty bad. Trees, along with power Lines, were down everywhere. My nephew, Tom, stayed with my mom during the storm. She had him park his car in the “perfect” spot. It turned out to be the perfect location for a large tree to crush and total his car. Another tree grazed my old bedroom in the back of the house but, fortunately, did only minor damage.

While my mom was visibly frazzled and at her last nerve, just 40 miles east is Seaside Heights, N.J., that saw its shoreline washed away. And throughout the state, there were at least six deaths associated with the storm.

The power company, with workers from around the country, worked tirelessly. When they came by the house on Monday to provide more permanent fixes, they were in good spirits.

On Tuesday when I headed home, there were nearly a million people without power. Closer to the Jersey Shore, gasoline was still hard to find. Too often, we take for granted what happens when we flick a switch in our homes. As my mom said, she never enjoyed camping and she surely did not enjoy it last week!