A storm shows the the power of neighborly aid

So there you were a day or two ago, sharing lukewarm drinks with the neighbors and reeling orange extension cords from their generator to your freezer to deal with the extended power outage.

Or there you were, chain saw in hand, teaming up with others to clear away the fallen branches blocking your street.

Scenes like that — common around the suburbs this week — kind of take you back to February, when more than 20 inches of snow brought out the best in many suburban residents.

The misery caused by this record-breaking power outage in the wake of Monday’s vicious windstorm isn’t quite as universal as in the Blizzard of 2011, and the toll isn’t nearly as deadly.

But the reaction to this latest disaster is still a testament to the kind of neighborly cooperation for which the suburbs are known:

People taking responsibility for others for whom the lack of air conditioning is not a nuisance, but a health hazard.

Families offering hot showers to friends whose houses are dark and water supplies are cold.

Neighbors dealing with inoperable freezers and sump pumps at homes of vacationing friends.

Whole subdivisions pitching in to help make roads and sidewalks passable.

Coffee shops and restaurants lending outlets to customers recharging phones and table space to those setting up virtual offices.

Police, public works and ComEd employees working long hours in hot weather to keep us safe and get us back to normal again.

But by most accounts, “normal” is a few days away, at best. If crises bring out the best in us, the challenge is to keep that spirit going.

Patience already is in short supply on mile after mile of suburban roads clogged as inoperative traffic lights turn major intersections into four-way stops.

Blame is the topic on many tongues, and while it’s worth discussing how one windstorm triggered such a massive outage, that talk can wait — and shouldn’t be directed to the guys in the hard hats in front of your house.

Meanwhile, some people are pretty good at playing “it could be worse” or at finding the silver lining.

It could be raining, creating the potential of a disaster of another dimension. It could have been tornadoes like those that struck Alabama, Missouri and other states with such ruthlessness.

Thank heaven that’s not the case.

So maybe it’s time to go find those neighbors again. Get out the lanterns, light up a barbecue, grill everything that’s defrosted from all your freezers. A nice little midweek get-together could be just what you need to power through the next hours or days until we can relegate this power outage to the “remember whens.”