Pacific

It is with a heavy heart that I write this morning. As most of you know by now, last night Japan was hit by one of the most powerful earthquakes in recent history: 8.9. I was alerted to this by a Japanese friend on facebook and soon watched the nauseatingly horrible footage of waves sweeping out whole cities in Japan. To watch that happen live fills a person with such dread and sadness that I quickly had to turn the news off, text my parents a warning (who live on the most western coastal tip of Oregon in prime tsunami territory) and went to bed.  To know that so many people are dealing with loss in the worst sense of the word takes my breath away. My heart and soul is with Japan and the surrounding islands hit.

Meanwhile, on a local and more personal level, my parents currently wait on a steep hill above the Pacific. With tsunami warnings blaring throughout the tiny fishing town at 4:30 in the morning, my mom was on high alert. The coast guard flying overhead, schools closed and people evacuated in my hometown of Port Orford. My dad, known for his adventuress, thrill-seeking nature (who in warnings past drove to the beach with hopes to see the waves) vowed he would go to higher ground (probably due to my slightly panicked voice).  My brother and I kept watch this morning, forming our own little tsunami committee. I know that there won’t be a huge impact in my hometown, but I still don’t like being away from my mom and dad at this time. I’m not a person who prays, but now is a better time than ever to send good thoughts, vibes, prayers to the people hurt most by this quake and tsunami.  I don’t know about you, but I’m going to hug my loved ones close and be thankful that they are here today. 

I saw also that there was an ocean of darkness and death, but an infinite ocean of light and love, which flowed over the ocean of darkness.