I'm working in front of the TV today, something I rarely do. But I can't take my eyes off the news about the earthquake in Japan. Today I am Japanese. The world is Japanese. There is no such concept as isolation. Not today.
I volunteer as sending coordinator with an organization that sends exchange students abroad, AFS. Japan is one of our partners and we are hosting several AFS/Japan students now in the Carolinas. My heart goes out to these students who were so far away from home when tragedy struck last night. No doubt they spent hours today on the telephone or the internet. They are so young, so remote, so apart from where their hearts are. Today they learn about character, lessons learned half a world away.
None of our local students are in Japan. One just returned at the end of January. Two are slated to depart March 21. What kind of Japan will they find when they arrive?
Life turns on a dime.
Catch of the day,
Gretchen
These events are awful. The one good thing is how they draw us together as fragile mortals on a planet that is subject to such disasters. It's how we reach out, how we help that counts. You are obviously in a position to comfort these sweet young students who are far from home and loved ones.
ReplyDeleteAnn Best, Long Journey Home
Thanks for your comment, Ann. I can imagine the hurt in these students as they watch helplessly. A comforting hug does help, I'm sure. According to reports I've heard, our globe is literally smaller because of the plates shifting. I look at the earthquake now as a way of bringing us closer together in more ways than one.
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