Take care of yourself

One of the things that I have always loved about humans is our tendency to come together during times of crisis. This time of fear and dread about the fires, the smoke, and the impact on us all is no exception. I have seen tender moments here and there that would not have occurred if our collective emotions were not so involved.

I wanted to remind us all that in spite of our ability to handle what comes at us, we need to remember that it takes a toll. Have you noticed feeling more stressed? More irritable

toward everything? Have you been noticing making simple mistakes? The fire and smoke bring up feelings of powerlessness (we can't get it to stop and we can't get away from it); there is an eerie end-of-theworld kind of dread attached to it.

I just wanted to say that these feelings are normal and that we can expect that many or most of us are dealing with the same feeling. How to handle it? My idea is to think of the most tender situation you have witnessed or the most vulnerable person you have helped, and apply that level of compassion to everyone and everything, including yourself.