eNewsletter April 2011
Dear Everyone,
Hi! And how are you all? It was a very, very busy month in March running my public program and a two week training stint in Brunei. I met some really wonderful people over there and am looking forward to my next visit in July. Sadly, over the past month, the tsunami in Japan and the political unrest in the Middle East have taken centre stage in almost all news forums.
I was riveted in front of my TV watching CNN, BBC and Aljazeera, to get more news on the situation in Japan and the Middle East. I was especially moved by the situation in Japan. I could not help but feel for the Japanese people in Fukushima, who have endured so much of hardship. Some of the footage on TV was so surreal to me. I found it difficult to comprehend that something like that could have happened and it was really heartbreaking to see all those images of total destruction. And yet in spite of it all, the Japanese people were exemplary in terms of their behavior and in terms of upholding their dignity.
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There was no looting, people stood in line for food, people went out of their way to assist although they needed help themselves. It speaks volumes about the culture of the Japanese people as compared to other nations whose people when faced with similar situations behaved quite differently! This public civility demonstrated by the Japanese people is a brilliant example of civilized behavior, which commands our utmost respect and admiration.
And now with the nuclear threat, my heart goes out to the people involved in ensuring that it does not become a disaster. There is a great possibility that some of these workers’ health will be seriously jeopardized due to radiation and yet they keep working on to “ensure that other people are able to live”.
It is at times like this that I suddenly realize how blessed I am. I simply can’t or do not want to imagine being in the disaster with my family and having my entire life’s possessions taken away in a second. As I sit here in front of my computer, with my lights on, water flowing from the taps and my TV functioning, it’s hard to imagine that people in the tsunami hit areas are still without these basic necessities. I was complaining about my lawn and the overgrowing weeds this morning, but now realize that this is so trivial compared to what the people in Fukushima are facing. I’m fortunate to be able to remedy the situation that I complained about this morning, but there are many in Fukushima who can’t do a single thing about bringing back their loved ones.
I cannot but feel extremely blessed. We, as human beings, have a tendency to take many things in our lives for granted. Fortunately, life has its way of refreshing our memories, through disasters like this. Right now, I am most thankful for my life, my family, friends, food, power, water and my job. In that context we all need to take time to be grateful and to have an attitude of gratitude! Life is so precious, yet so fragile. Never, ever take it for granted. My heartfelt prayers are with the people of Fukushima, Japan. May they be given the strength and courage to overcome this tragedy with pride and dignity.
Thank you very much for reading this newsletter. May all of you have a great month ahead in April!
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