Y'know...I had a couple of friends who lost everything in the horror of what was The Oakland Fire. And I do mean everything.

One of them was working on her doctorate. She had taken a sabbatical to go to Europe to do research, and her thesis was on her computer.

Everything was gone. All she had left were the clothes she was wearing when she barely escaped uninjured.

When I asked her how she felt, she responded with "It was only things. Things can be replaced." "AND, I get to start all over, gathering new momentos and trinkets."

I gained a whole new perspective on what my life is all about, and a world of respect for my friend.