Storms

Friday night a big storm passed through. We finished dinner by candlelight and settled in for the night. The next morning we had coffee thanks to our gas stove and were comfy thanks to a well insulated home. The main thing we have to be careful with when we lose power is water because the well uses an electric pump and pressure tank.

On our pedal we had to navigate around fallen trees on the road and I’m sure it will take us a while to find those needing clean up along our fields and forest edge. Our farmer lost a couple of cattle due to a downed power line. Another neighbor showed us a large tree down and hoped there weren’t trapped animals underneath.

So, while we worked this. afternoon to clear the debris so that we’re not hindered spraying and mowing this week, I was thinking. Storms happen and they’re not gone in an instant. There’s aftermath to deal with. The friend at work dealing with the tragic death of a loved one, another friend working through therapy to heal from trauma, our farmer trying to heal a serious eye injury or whatever the storm may have been; the recovery is not instantaneous .

I was thinking as Chuck spent hours with the chainsaw cutting limbs into manageable pieces. It’s a bit like how we face sadness and struggle in life by taking baby steps we can manage as we heal and grieve. It helps to share with others. This help happened when a coworker shared his loss we were able to offer a helpful word of kindness and encouragement. As for the tree limbs, I could help Chuck load the trailer so the work was faster in the summer heat.

As I helped, I was reminded how unique and pretty sycamore wood is. I asked to save some of the bigger pieces to dry and make some trivets and cutting boards . You see, even after scary storms, and the hard work of cleanup, beautiful things are on the horizon too.