I talk about perspective and balance often, but this holiday weekend provided a humbling opportunity to remember what is important. Fourth of July weekend, still cautious about socializing but trying to celebrate responsibly. No fireworks for the husband and myself, but some chatting from deck to deck with neighbors. The loud bangs were common, so I didn’t realize anything was wrong until I stepped out front and saw chucks of ash floating in the air. Just down the street, what was once a porch to a duplex was now an expanding wall of fire. The families got to safety, but the damage to both their homes was done. Neighbors forgot about their own celebrations to bring water to responders and the families watching the tragedy. Once the fire was controlled and the neighborhood began to resume regular activities, my husband and I discussed how surreal it was. For us, once we walked back in the house, life felt normal and our immediate concern was “what’s for dinner” – while only a few hundred feet away two families walked back into their houses to assess the damage, wondering where they were going to spend the night and what do they do now. It is so easy for some of us, lucky to have been spared such life-changing events, to get carried away by the little things these days as our worlds have become somewhat smaller. I’m writing this so that I don’t forget this reminder, to be thankful that many inconveniences and annoyances are usually just those “little things” that may not really matter at all.