Before The Perfect Storm

I went for a walk

Monday, September 30.

These were the photos from the walk.

I am just looking at them for the first time today.

Friday of that same week

was the perfect storm

that hit our area of the prairie and Black Hills.

Starting with soaking rain, freezing rain, ice on the windows while lightning flashed

and thunder boomed as the snow and wind started.

The fury of a summer and winter storm all wrapped into one.

On Monday, it was a beautiful late summer day.

Sure, we knew that weather was coming.

We prepared like we usually do.

But this was not a usual storm.

And so, our land and lifestyle has wounds that will become scars.

But scars are healed spots that remain a bit tender . . .

reminders

of what we have been through

on our journeys to where we are going

and remind us to have compassion for others on their journey.

Scars are nothing to be afraid of or ashamed of . . . 

they show life lived with courage.

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