The Star - News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area

The smoke is the sign. Our neighbors to the north have been devastated by the fires burning in their area. Hopefully by the time the paper hits our hands the flames will be extinguished and this raging beast we call a wildland fire, is dead. Never-the-less, when the coals are cold and the ground is just a black charring, there will still be the devastating recovery process for those who lost everything except their lives.

Fire can be a powerful monster and we have seen it locally take single dwellings in an instant. But our friends in Pateros and Brewster have been severely attacked and homes and livelihoods destroyed a very devastating blow to say the least. I know that truck loads of stuff have all ready been delivered to the area and other events are taking place to assist those who lost their physical treasures. Prayers are needed and a vigilant mind to help seems to be growing.

Also, a passenger plane was shot down near Russia, killing all on board, including infants. Families from all over the world mourning a deadly and cowardly taking of life. Gaza City invaded, more people die. Flooding in Texas equals more loss of life and property. A shooting there, a robbery here, the world is in shock.

In times like this it sometimes feels these events are beyond our grasp, bigger than anything we can handle. But we all know that when a lot of people do little things, it turns into a big thing that can bless people for decades. So I ask you to search your basements, attics, closets and spare rooms. Clean them out and find a way to get that stuff to the families that lost their belongings. Deliver water to firefighters; look in on their families as they are out there fighting these fires. Open your hearts and ears to those around us who sometimes just need a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen to their fears.

In disasters like these, I often look at the world around me and ask, what if this happened here, what would that look like, what would I be able to do? What if my neighbors house was destroyed or my favorite local business just a pile of smoldering ashes? Would we be able to go on? The answer is, of course, we would find a way. It would be a long road but we would pull together. And I think we can do that for others, too. Yes, sometimes we can shut our eyes to something that is not happening in our front yard, but this time, this time is different. We must help.

Thanks to those that have already organized clothing drives and fund raisers; you are the pulse of a great community. Thanks again for the heroics of firefighters, EMTs, first responders, law enforcement and neighbors that responded once again to an event that seemed way too big for anyone. They showed once again that perseverance and training, mixed with self control and a level head, can defeat the biggest heartbreak.

The world is a big place, sometimes the disaster is in our back yard, and sometimes it is on the other side of the world. Either way, we are a nation, state, and community of great individuals that come together and help those in pain. Sometimes it feels like we can’t do enough, other times it feels like we do too much, but sometimes we get it just right. Keep it up, Coulee; these walls hold a great bunch of people who know how to help and do it. Proud of you.