Editor’s note: This is the post I planned to publish before the Marshall Fire swept through our neighborhood in Louisville, Colorado, on December 30, 2021.

I needed a little victory, a small win, a bright spot in what now feels like a never-ending pandemic grind.

Most folks we know burned out many months ago and have been mentally trudging along the highway to get to the nearest town ever since. We keep looking for that light in the window.

For a brief moment, maple provided respite.