Another Earthquake

I woke up to the news of another terrible earthquake, this one affecting Chile, and resulting in devastation to businesses, homes, airports, roadways.......Upon last check, 147 lives lost. Now Hawaii is preparing for a possible tsunami. So much heartache and hopelessness still exists in Haiti and to now see another area of the world enduring such a horrendous terror simply makes me want to cry. One can only feel helpless in such extreme circumstance. Of course we can send money (not knowing where the money will ultimately be distributed), but these people need such basic necessities we all take for granted on a daily basis. So many people will go to bed tonight without a roof above their heads or without food to eat. The simple luxury of a tooth brush or a warm shower will be lost for so many days, weeks, or even months.

Photo from Reuters

Photo from Associated Press

Photo from Associated Press

I cannot begin to imagine what so many people are experiencing now. The week before Christmas, my parents lost their home to fire. It was the only home I had ever known, encapsulating so many wonderful memories and treasures (things I had never known to be treasures until they were dust). On December 19, 2009, my husband and I traveled for 2 hours in the middle of the night on snow covered roads to reach my parents. They had been inside the home when the fire started, of course losing electricity, then being forced from their home, leaving an entire life of memories behind them as they looked on in terror. The wedding bands they had cherished for over thirty eight years were gone. The pictures and toys of their children were gone. Their daughter's wedding dress was gone. The necessities were gone: food, clothing, shoes, toothbrushes.......After years of seeing my parents struggle and do without wants to build a successful live for themselves and give their children a nice home and future, I drove upon blazes that I could have never prepared my mind to illustrate. For the first time in my life, I actually felt my heart break as I saw my mom standing in 8 inches of snow with one of my father's work boots on one foot and a flip flop on the other. She was wearing mismatched pajamas and watching in horror as she lost something that once meant so much. She looked like an orphan watching in desperation as her parents drove away. It was one of the worst days of my life.