I remember the day I screamed down the hall of my high school…  “Doesn’t anyone care any more?”

I was 16 and my Mom had died a few months before.  I was sitting in typing class and it unexpectedly and suddenly hit me how everyone was carrying on with their lives, as if nothing had happened.  I abruptly left the room in the middle of class, so no one would see the tears streaming down my face.  Mrs. Newsome followed and asked where I was going.  And, that’s when I hollered down the hall.

I left the school grounds, without permission, and spent the rest of the day sitting at my Mom’s grave.  That’s when I realized life does go on, even after a tragedy.  It doesn’t matter if it’s the personal tragedy of a young girl or one that affects millions of people.  Before you know it, everyone is laughing, shopping, sleeping, and talking about the latest celebrity gossip, as if nothing ever happened.

My Dad died three years after my Mom.  On Christmas Eve.  Yep… life went on!

It’s been over 30 years since I was that confused girl.  I now know that life needs to go on.  We can’t live in constant grief lest we miss out on the beauty of being alive.  I also know how much it means to me when someone expresses their support at the loss of my parents, even after all these years.

People will cease talking and tweeting about the disaster in Japan long before it’s citizens even start to recover.  The knowledge of that makes me feel a bit like that sad and confused 16 year old again.  So, I’m making a promise to stop and remember those affected, for years to come.

And, today I’m praying for the children who became orphans that day.  I’m praying for them to realize they will laugh, shop, sleep, and talk about trivial things again one day.  I did!

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