Reaching

So how was your Fourth of July Weekend?

I hope the answer is "Great".

"Fun".

"Good times".

"Good food".

"Good memories."

Mine was filled with all of the above.

Our family returned home from a big fireworks show Saturday night.

We usually light off a few "safe and sane" fireworks before wrapping up the holiday.

This year, we kept it simple.

Just some sparklers.

Can't get any more safe and sane than that....right?

It went off without a hitch until the last sparkler sparkled its last.

It was in my hand.

My youngest said.... "I'll take that from you, Dad."

He did.

Grabbing it from the hot end of the stick of all things.

His cries made me glad someone a couple of streets over opted for something much louder than our safe and sane fireworks.

In fact, as their dangerous and insane ones exploded over our heads we rushed into the house.

There's some irony there, don't you think?

Even though the injury was almost nothing, it could have been much worse.

As Nicolas sat on the couch with his ice pack on his finger a thought occurred to me.

You can get hurt when you hastily reach for the wrong end of a hot sparkler.

It's a bad idea.

Whether you intend to or not you get burned.

May I remember that the next time my hasty reach exceeds my limited wisdom in the daily decisions of life.