Derecho

I was the mom who always herded my six kids to the basement during storms. When I had only five kids, we lived in a house that didn’t have a basement. We had to run outside to the shelter house and climb down through a door in the floor to an underground cellar. We did that seven times one summer. My kids still roll their eyes at me.

Derecho. I’ve heard this weather term before but since I can’t recall ever experiencing one, I’m quite positive I’ve not experienced one…until now. You’d remember it. 

On Tuesday, August 11th, I remember walking past a window and seeing only green. I could tell it was raining very hard, but looking out, all I saw was green. Nothing else. 

I wanted to take a picture of it but as I grabbed my phone, I heard the wind grow louder accompanied now by hail. It was all so very loud. I knew it was bad. 

I took one look at Nyx, who was looking at me for help, and I yelled for us to go to the basement. She did not hesitate. She beat me down the stairs. 

When the hail subsided, I ran back upstairs to check the windows to see if they were holding up to the wind and hail. I was afraid that the hail broke the west window in the guest room, the direction of the storm. When I opened the blind, I saw the window was fine…but my heart absolutely sank. The beautiful, old cedar trees at my cabin were snapped off and lying on the ground behind the cabin. 

The first thing I thought of was how those trees housed a variety of birds, including hummingbirds, and if any were hurt, and what would they do now. Those trees shaded the cabin, and well, just added to the charm of the pond and cabin. I was so sad. 

It was still raining but the wind died down when I went outside to see the damage. We don’t have a lot of trees on our property to start with. Mostly, they accent the beautiful pond and cabin. We have 6 favorite trees. Five, of which, are a pretty much total loss, or close to it. The sixth had the top snapped off.

I know the Bradford pear tree is an invasive species, and we’ve thought about taking it down, but decided to keep it since it’s one of the most beautiful trees in the fall. It’s gone.

D’s favorite tree, another cedar, snapped near the ground and is lying across the cove of the pond. 

And Lord Sycamore has been stripped. Large branches have broken off. If you recall, I recently wrote about this particular tree, the tallest on our property. It is quite hollowed out in the back. We are actually shocked that he’s still standing. The odds are really stacked against him. He’s an example of nature’s will to live. 

I was telling people that the corn field on the south side of the driveway was fine. Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong. Just because it’s still standing doesn’t mean it’s unscathed. The leaves are shredded from the hail. So very sad. 

Our buildings, the house, barn, and cabin all seem to be fine. A blessing. I have seen pictures of what others in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio have suffered. It’s quite devastating in many areas. Especially with the flooding. I’m grateful that we only lost trees. 

The trees, birds, and nature on our property are kind of sacred to D and me. We look at our place as a safe place for them to live. This is why it’s hard to see the loss of our trees, their home. And it is dent in the beauty of the property. 

I feel for the farmers and all those who were in the path of this storm. So much loss. 

One thing, though, as D reminded me the next morning as we watched the deer and turkeys roaming together…life goes on. It continues even when there’s loss or displacement. That’s the miracle. Even the hummers are still fighting each other at the feeder. They didn’t  give up. They immediately began to rebuild. 

We can learn so much from nature. Even Lord Sycamore has tried his hardest to stay here. God gave his creation resilience. We, as humans, often get tied up with emotions which often stifles our ability to move forward. Okay, we as in me. Not everyone thinks or feels as I do. It’s both a curse and a blessing to feel everything so deeply, but I wouldn’t trade that aspect of me for anything.

As I sit quietly with a young friend who has been trying so hard to live for the past couple of years, I think of both the fragility and the resilience of living beings. Sometimes that line is pretty wide between the here and the there. For others it’s a very thin line. My friend’s line is very wide. She has fought hard and for a very long time. But this last storm, her own derecho, has knocked her down pretty good and sadly, the odds are beginning to stack against her. 

Still…she’s been down before and surprised us all. She is resilient, determined, and strong. Like Lord Sycamore. 

But I will not forget the derecho’s power to destroy.

Life is a compilation of good and bad, of difficult and easy. It teaches us hard lessons. One of the greatest things life continues to teach me is compassion. Compassion teaches me to feel more deeply and love more passionately. 

God is good. Honestly, I do question him though on the whys some things happen the way they do. But his wisdom is far greater than mine. I just need to ask myself…what did I learn, and how can I be a better person because of it.

♥️

Andi