Words

I have sat down and tried to write something more than once over the last few days and just haven't found the words. I still don't think I have them.

This situation in Japan. How do you find words for that? I don't know if there are any. Just like there just weren't words for 9/11 and Katrina here in the US.

I know someone living in Japan right now. She went to college with me and is one of my sorority sisters. We are pretty much only in touch via Facebook and haven't really talked much outside of it in recent years, but at least have had that connection. I am following her Facebook updates regularly from near Tokyo, much more informative than anything any of our newscasters are saying I will tell you that much. I am so glad that so far she and her husband are safe.

It seems so unreal, and it's easy enough to pretend it isn't or to ignore it when you're so far removed from it. But knowing someone who is living through it and sharing it openly makes it very real and really, truly makes you think.

I'm dealing with something less than ideal this week - a work thing - and I was cranky about it and kind of down about it at first, but after Japan and some news from friends closer to home who are dealing with very big and devastating things - it seriously puts things into perspective. I have nothing to complain about. I am counting my blessings instead. Trivial things just seem insignificant right now.

And there are just no words. At least none that I feel do justice other than this:

Hope.