Before a fire, during an unusually cold winter, Ronlyn Domingue remembers the trees that fueled the flames. She taps into memories of a swamp chestnut, water oak, sycamore, and beech—and what gifts they shared beyond shade. This will be one of several essays in which she gets in touch with her Inner Druid.

When everything is quiet, that’s when the dark thoughts come out. Erika Rae finds herself hugging her knees as the glow from the fireplace brings out the cracks in her soul.