Since the quake, tsunami and Fukushima crisis in Japan I have spent several hours each day scouring the latest updates, pictures and reports from Japan. Though it gets harder to bear, I am compelled to keep watching. I feel it my duty to bear witness to the suffering and distress, not to turn away to some distraction.
I see people respond with calm and kindness through their deepest grief and ongoing hardship. The personal stories of survivors and evacuees I have followed exemplify what one must do: live the life one has been given with purpose, grace and gratitude. I am overwhelmed at how often individuals express their gratitude in spite of the grief, privations and uncertainty they continue to endure.
Each day I light a candle, burn incense and say a prayer for the people in Japan. Chastened, I learn from their dignity and am indebted to them for their example.
A moment of silence March 18, 2:43 PM. Photos from The Telegraph, UK.