Rising Sun

When you woke up this morning, you probably thought this is going to be just another day in your life. That's what most people in Japan thought too last Friday. Then it happened.

Words can barely describe the devastation that struck the country. It's the strongest earthquake on record to hit Japan followed by a massive tsunami that wiped out towns and cities. But disaster doesn't stop there as nuclear power plant explosions wreak more havoc and a meltdown threatens to cause even more destruction not limited within the ailing nation.

While you're reading this, probably comfortably sheltered in your home or perhaps your office, our Japanese friends are struggling to survive. It has only been four days and the scale of damage already compares to that of World War II. The death toll is estimated to reach at least 10,000. It is very hard to imagine that such a powerful country, a strong force in the global economy, is experiencing food shortage. The ones spared may have the means to buy food but what do you do when there's no food to buy? People there, including the ones in cities, literally have nothing to eat or have no clean water to drink. Over 500,000 of them are housed in evacuation centers with no clear knowledge of their fate within the coming days.

How do you begin to recover when everything you have is gone? Think of it. Your food, your clothes and belongings, your home, the ground your house used to stand on, and unfortunately, perhaps even your loved ones, all gone, just like that.

Being aware is good. But it doesn't stop there. As much as I'd like to personally hand over goods or try to comfort shocked survivors, not all of us have the opportunity to do so. However, there's a force that we can channel our sincere thoughts to that will help avert this crisis and heal suffering. I'm not there physically but I am praying for each grieving victim, for each casualty, for the ones living in fear, living in danger and for those who are going out of their way to help out. I'm humbly asking you to take some time and do the same.

Tomorrow, when you wake up thinking it's going to be just another day, be thankful---and hope that, if it can't be a better one, it may as well indeed be a regular day in your life.

Meanwhile, click here, here, here, or here for more ways to help.

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