Good morning, neighbors. If you stayed up watching the returns, you’re not alone, and if you didn’t, you may be waking up to the same question the rest of us have: who will control Congress? Based on the latest reporting we could find, that answer may take a while. Some races, like those in Maine and Alaska, use ranked-choice voting, which can slow final counts, and the House majority comes down to who reaches 218 seats.

Here’s what we can say for certain: we showed up. More than 57 million of us voted early, a midterm record and about a quarter more than at this point four years ago. However you voted, that’s a lot of people deciding that our country’s business is their business too.

What’s been weighing on a lot of kitchen tables is the cost of living. Inflation ticked up again late last month, driven largely by gasoline, with oil above $100 a barrel. One survey found nearly half of Americans, 47%, feeling real financial strain from rising prices. Yet the economy also grew at a healthy 3.4% pace over the summer, a reminder that the numbers on a chart and the numbers on a grocery receipt don’t always tell the same story. If you’re stretching a budget right now, you’re doing something hard, and it’s not a personal failing.

And out in the Southwest, flash flooding has forced evacuations, with officials warning residents of a Colorado resort town about serious danger. If you know someone out that way, a quick call or text can mean more than you’d think.

Elections come and go, but we’re neighbors every day after. Let’s be patient with the count, generous with each other, and mindful that most of us want the same simple things: a fair shot, a fair price, and a safe place to call home.