In late spring, many of us experienced the damaging winds of a local storm that brought considerable damage to our front doors.  Strong trees were uprooted in seconds, and debris lay strewn across every yard and street.  As I watched neighbors come together to load broken limbs, tree roots, and scattered branches into large piles along the sidewalks, I was struck with how quickly chaos ensued, and how much damage could be done in minutes!  A few days later, large trucks with a hard-working cleanup crew came through to sweep away the piles, and within a week, many streets looked as if nothing had happened--the extent of the damage suddenly unrecognizable!  Yet, those who endured the loss of trees they had come to know and admire, still know the loss.  They feel the damage that was done and they know how long it will take to grow new trees, to establish new roots.  

This is one of those blogs that I have been contemplating for months.

My mind flashes to a hundred different stories I could tell, and my heart vacillates between honoring this woman with words galore, and being simple and humble in my description, as I know she would want me to.

 

I remember where I was sitting when he spoke up.