Japan

Ok, so I know I failed NaBloPoMo (it doesn't really come as any great surprise to anyone, myself included) but I'm still going to try and post here every (remaining) day in March just to keep my hand in, so to speak.

The events in Japan yesterday rocked Japan, literally, and the rest of the world, figuratively. We've all seen the footage, one way or another, of that ghastly flood of water relentlessly sweeping everything in its path away. I showed one snippet to the girls but of course they were unimpressed - because although there were cars and entire buildings bobbing along in the mud, it still didn't look particularly frightening. Except that it is. Oh, how it is. I tried to explain what had happened and why this water was so horrible, and eventually they understood, took in the fact that anyone who got caught by that flow (and anyone anywhere near it inevitably would) would most likely die.

L looked stricken, asking if would ever happen here. She was relieved when I told her that no, Montpellier is pretty much safe from such horrors, and immediately went back to playing with her Legos. But our former neighbour is Japanese, her entire family are in Japan. I'm guessing they're Ok as I'm pretty sure they live in the south. But still. How terrifying for her, to be here, with them, over there, in such chaos.

These natural disasters (but how natural are they really? How much is man and his madness actually to blame?) blow my mind. My heart goes out to all those people who have lost loved ones, have lost everything, had it all swept away or destroyed. My heart aches just thinking about them. How can you ever rebuild your life after such horror? How do you come to terms with it? I know the Japanese are pretty used to earthquakes, but this is different, the horror of this one is the magnitude, the extent, the endless aftershocks...

I can't imagine living in a place where this kind of thing could happen at any time...

Hold strong, Japan, you are strong, you will survive. You are in my thoughts today.