Lilley in the Light

         "We need to thank God," he whispered.      The sun hadn’t yet risen on this cold Monday in February. My husband, who had already been up for 30 minutes, shuffled back into our bedroom to deliver the news. “You know that crash we heard last night?” he said as he held my hand. “An oak tree fell. Away from our house.” My sleepy eyes widened, the shock of that statement reverberating through me. Suddenly, I was very awake. We talked for a moment before he headed back downstairs. There was, after all, still a day ahead of coffee, breakfast, school drop off, work, emails, and now, calling our friend to come take a chain saw to this fallen giant.  Our many oak trees have always been a liability. But they are also my favorite thing about our land. On a humid Saturday in August nearly five and half years ago, we first pulled up to this home as a potential buyer. We had entered or driven by around fifteen homes for sale. Weary from th...