Lessons from the Storm

Our beautiful, quiet neighborhood of Texas live oaks was serene during the ice storm of the past week until we began to hear the sounds of cracking wood.

The several-hundred-year-old trees had seen many storms, but this one was just too much for many to bear. We kept a worried vigil for the survival of ours. It did; others weren't so lucky. The strain of the added weight on the leaved branches was just too much for many of the colony of trees that spread throughout our area. Some came down in crashes onto roofs and cars, while others slowly split open from the mounting pressure.

There are lessons to be learned from our relationship to place, shown through our emotional responses to change.

The kindness of neighbors heard through the hum of chainsaws.