The animals could not sleep, so neither could we. With the wind blowing like I’d never heard before, things outside were bumping, rattling and scraping in terrifying ways.

It died down about 4 in the morning and we slept a bit then. But I woke up and had to do an errand on Arrow highway. It was less than five miles but I counted 7 fallen trees.

Huge trees, tall and spreading were killed by the wind. Some were pushed over with their roots pulled up out of the earth. Some were split, with half the tree shredded away from the trunk. A few trees landed on houses, cracking the roof of families’ homes, destroying property.

These trees were decades old—some of them must have been older than a century—and this was their end. These history holders, landmarks and keepers of secrets had their weakness revealed and exposed at last.

I wish we could prop them up again and keep them alive. They have been with us so long. But they are being chopped up and pulled away.

How can it be that the spirits of the trees are gone? The giant trees are mortal too.

Just like me they were born with the fatal flaw. One day all living things will die. We didn’t know the weak parts of the trees until it was pressed.

Maybe this windstorm was the tree equivalent of a car crash. Hit me with enough force and my number is up. Some of the trees were on the wrong part of a gust and could not withstand it anymore.

I cannot know what is the weak part. Maybe it’s not even the weak part, it’s just some things are too much to bear.

And the trees I love went down to their death and broke my heart.

I can do my best to help protect myself and help the trees, since we live together. But I cannot protect against everything.

This wild world is full of risks.

Everything I do comes with risks and opportunity. That tree that grew its branches and roots was growing its life and growing its death.

Death was guaranteed, but that growth was not. I admire that tree for its growth and only wish the same for every tree. Thank you beautiful trees for your courage and persistence in becoming more and more of what you could be. Even though it came with risk. I want to be like you are.

Risk of the highest order will always be with me. It is up to me to grow into something worth mourning at my inevitable end.