Family Friday: Rushing Water, Children Without Handles and Every Parent's Worst Nightmare – Heartfelt Wishes for Japan

It’s every parent’s worst nightmare – water rushing through the streets. Not where you visit, or just happen to be one ill-fated day, but where you live, where you choose to raise your family, where you were supposed to be safe.

That’s what happened to families in Japan. And although the news media shows the shocking scenes of the waves rushing in, destroying everything in its path, it doesn’t show the real story. The story of families who lost loved ones, unable to escape to higher ground.

I imagine myself in that situation where in a matter of seconds, everything shifts. Priorities sharply brought back into focus where the only thing that matters is holding onto my child, desperately trying to find a solid grip, something to hold onto that will not slip.

It’s introspection like this that has me wondering why children don’t come with handles. Why skin gets so slippery when wet allowing for that delicate purchase on life to slip away. If only I think like that one small change can solve much bigger problems.

It can’t, but I still wish for it.

So now what? Now that the scene has turned to a different sort of tragedy?

The world holds its breath, watching as the slow creep of poison threatens the survivors. The days ahead grim as the possibility of endless suffering that we know only to well having seen it before, even if only in the history books.

My daughter wonders why I hug her extra tight and give her 25 random kisses, shoving me away in favor of Scooby Doo with an annoyed “Mommy!” I swear silently to myself to never live where something like THIS could happen, knowing that you can’t protect your children from the infinite number of grim possibilities.

But I promise it anyway.

It’s tragedies like these that leave you feeling utterly helpless. All I can think of is to lend my helping hand from halfway around the world, a small gesture I hope means a ray of light to someone who needs it and I ask our readers to do the same.

Donate at the American Red Cross or the Canadian Red Cross.