In these recent, but seemingly familiar, times of hardship and pain, every individual  throughout the community needs to stop and reflect. While some, more fortunate than others, were, along with their property and belongings, spared, we as a community need to realize the ever-present fact that many were not. Whether from a mass shooting or deadly wildfire, people need to realize that each of us could have been in other people’s shoes

When I heard news of the deadly fires, I was at home eating dinner. I heard  the Woolsey Fire, as well as the Camp Fire, were burning through homes across California, already killing approximately five people. Horror stricken, I went on my phone to learn more. Unfortunately, the radio host was incorrect about the death toll. At that  time, seventeen individuals were confirmed dead due to extreme burns and suffocation, with hundreds more reported missing. As we now know, between both fires, fifty two people have been deemed deceased. This is a troubling time for many.