Every Now and Then

Every now and then we are reminded of what utter devastation truly looks like. This is how I felt on March 11th when Japan was hit by a devastating tsunami.

About a week ago, my wife and I watched an unbelievable video clip of a town in Japan that was hit full force by the tsunami. At first it was just a trickle, then a stream, then a river, then a moving wall of water. It took under five minutes for the full devastation to take place. Cars were being moved around like match boxes, boats were zooming by as they crashed into buildings and houses were becoming unhinged as the water’s massive power did whatever it willed. Here one minute, gone the next. It just defied logic.

It is amazing how one incident can alter the lives of so many. The number of people who have been confirmed dead or listed as missing in Japan has reached 20,000 people and is expected to climb even higher. If this wasn’t enough, still looming is the threat of radiation from the storm that ravaged the nuclear plant in Fukushima. Just a few days ago, I read of three scenarios and now of them appeared to be favorable.

The heartache is unfathomable. There is a story of one woman who escaped the rushing water, but lost grip of her daughter’s hand and has not found her since. Yet, I have seen a nation from what I can gather is handling an awful situation with grace and dignity. According to a news account, the Japanese in the waning days voluntarily turned off the electricity in an effort to conserve power. There were also reports of how the displaced people stood patiently in lines to receive rations and generally appeared to be thinking of others.

Tragedy can bring out the worst and best in people. “But we must keep on living,” said one citizen. Another survivor said, “I have come to realize what is important in life.”

For whatever reason, after we witness something so traumatic it always seems to make us stop and think. Every now and then we are reminded how truly fragile life can be and how in an instant it can all be taken away.

"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have." ~ Frederick Keonig

Swavel