The smoke alarm was loud enough to wake us: thank heaven for that. The response of the firemen was professional and quick enough to save us and all our belongings: thank the Lord Almighty and all the firefighters and first responders in Taos for that. It was a long night here but, because firefighters put their lives in jeopardy every day in an effort to keep people safe, we will spend the rest of our days forever in their debt. Kind, professional, efficient, compassionate, calm, empathetic, and unselfish – those are the words that come to mind as we recall events that, while ultimately not life threatening, certainly could have been. At 3 degrees Fahrenheit, water freezes, noses and heads and hands and knees and most of our other joints begin to ache, and most people snuggle down a little deeper under their covers. These men and women, along with the police and paramedics, neither waited nor flinched: they did what they’re trained and committed to do so that people like us can live to write and talk about it. Last night it was my wife and me: it could have been you. My newest New Year’s resolution, which I encourage everyone to make: thank the people who put their lives at risk to save the lives of others today.
P.S. We are fine, thankful, and feeling blessed as today’s beautiful sunrise shows its first rays of sunshine here in the Land of Enchantment!
Thomas Richard Carper (b. 1947) is an American politician serving since 2001 as the senior United States Senator from Delaware
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