Praying for Japan

Mother Nature is a fierce beast that takes no prisoners.  The tragedies in Japan these last few weeks has been breath-taking and almost unbelievable.  I have been completely addicted to the stories and pictures.  Every day, I am left wondering- what can I do?  

Recently, I attended church twice (which is two times more than the total times I've been to church in the last decade (besides attending a funeral or wedding)).  Parts of the sermon doesn't apply to me, but several messages have left long lasting impressions on my mind and heart.  I have felt a higher power present in my being, caring, supporting and nurturing.  I consider myself more spiritual than religious, but this year so far, I have felt that a higher power has been nudging me along to see the light and pray.  (Thanks to Alissa and Kristine for their additional nudging.)  So today I pray for the people of Japan and the long road ahead they have to recovery and rebuilding their lives. 

Women comforting and supporting each other. 

 Praying for a lost soul.

 Little girl carrying her belongings to a shelter. 

 If you could only take what you could carry, what would you bring? 

Baby being tested for radiation.

This picture (and several like this) brings tears to my eyes each time I see it/them.  These are lists of people who have been treated at a local hospital.  People come here, wait for hours to get in and search for the names of their loved ones.  Who is still alive?   The idea of searching for Simon, my Mother and so many other loved ones in my life is almost unimaginable.  I am thankful for life!

From sadness, comes light...Uplifting stories from Japan include workers finding a 4 month old baby that survived 90 hours buried under rubble.  She is safe and seemingly healthy.  Also, a 90 year old woman was found in her home after it had been swept away in the tsunami.  She had also been without food and water for days.  Strong women surviving disaster gives me and so many of us hope, great hope. 

Some good music food for thought...

While my blog updates have been horribly belated... I came across this excellent little social experiment that a friend shared with me:

Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning: The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule. 

4 minutes later: The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk. 

6 minutes: A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again. 

10 minutes: A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly. 

45 minutes: The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32. 1 hour: He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition. 

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100. This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro stationwas organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities. 

The questions raised: 

*In a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? 

*Do we stop to appreciate it? 

*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made, how many other things are we missing? How many special persons pass us by and we do not MAKE ANY EFFORT TO get to know them?