When I was in the 4th grade, a sudden storm with many lightning strikes arrived quickly – well before we could prepare – and rained lightning down on our house that over looked a valley stream. Rex, our dog, was chained with his new tether to a cherry tree. He wanted to roam and snapped his ropes to run and play, and so the chains came. And so the storms came and with lightning quickened and struck the tree and killed our dog. We buried him the next day in the yard. I wanted to remove the chain so he would at least be free in death, but my father said no.

So at a very young age, I learned of death, and storms. At a very young age, I learned of fear.

Today, I looked up into the sky and thought of Rex. I thought and hope that he is a good guardian to whomever in the clouds decided to take him that day, as we huddled in our basement, our living room TV exploded by a surge that hit the power lines, and lightning crashed and shattered near our house which overlooked the valley.