Heartbroken

Heartbroken.  That's how the President of the U.S. said he felt about Japan.  I feel the same way.  It's very difficult to comprehend the degree of devastation that has occurred in Japan in the past few days.  The brutal reality is that these natural disasters keep taking place...in China, Chile, Haiti, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Brazil, Costa Rica, the United States, etc...earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, tornadoes, and other calamities.  So many natural disasters in so many countries, it's very hard to begin to comprehend the pain and suffering that millions of people are experiencing.

I watched the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in the news and it seemed unreal.  It reminded me of a man made disaster - the airplanes crashing against the World Trade Towers on September 11th.  I had just moved to a new apartment and my TV had been stolen by someone that worked for the moving company.   Some friends called me - one from the Upper East Side (East 90's) and another one blocks away from the World trade towers.  They were both terrified, the first friend because he had heard the planes flying low near his apartment and the second one because she saw what had happened in the news and it was just minutes away from her apartment.  I called some friends in my new neighborhood and went to their place to watch the news.  All I remember is saying:  "I don't believe it, I don't believe it".  I probably said that thousands of times that day as I saw the replay of the planes crashing against the World Trade Towers again and again.

That's how the devastation in Japan is to me.  The tragedy is so mammoth it's real and unreal at the same time.  I am feeling heartbroken all the same.  I know it's very real to everyone that has lost their home, that is still looking for their relatives and loved ones or to those that saw their loved ones being swept away by the tsunami.  How to help them is the important question.  Sending money, sending prayers...it's very tough.  Seems one should be able to do more.  I know that everything helps at least a little bit.

Love and strength to all.