Sunday, March 20, 2011
The following letter was forwarded to me by a "friend of a friend." I believe the writer is an American living in Japan in Sendai, one of the major centers hit by the earthquake.
A letter from Sendai
>
> Things here in Sendai have been rather surreal. But I am
> very blessed to
> have wonderful friends who are helping me a lot. Since my
> shack is even more
> worthy of that name, I am now staying at a friend's home.
> We share supplies
> like water, food and a kerosene heater. We sleep lined up
> in one room, eat
> by candlelight, share stories. It is warm, friendly, and
> beautiful.
>
> During the day we help each other clean up the mess in our
> homes. People sit
> in their cars, looking at news on their navigation screens,
> or line up to
> get drinking water when a source is open. If someone has
> water running in
> their home, they put out a sign so people can come to fill
> up their jugs and
> buckets.
>
> It's utterly amazingly that where I am there has been no
> looting, no pushing
> in lines. People leave their front door open, as it is
> safer when an
> earthquake strikes. People keep saying, "Oh, this is how it
> used to be in
> the old days when everyone helped one another."
>
> Quakes keep coming. Last night they struck about every 15
> minutes. Sirens
> are constant and helicopters pass overhead often.
>
> We got water for a few hours in our homes last night, and
> now it is for half
> a day. Electricity came on this afternoon. Gas has not yet
> come on. But all
> of this is by area. Some people have these things, others
> do not. No one has
> washed for several days. We feel grubby, but there are so
> much more
> important concerns than that for us now. I love this
> peeling away of
> non-essentials. Living fully on the level of instinct, of
> intuition, of
> caring, of what is needed for survival, not just of me, but
> of the entire
> group.
>
> There are strange parallel universes happening. Houses a
> mess in some
> places, yet then a house with futons or laundry out drying
> in the sun.
> People lining up for water and food, and yet a few people
> out walking their
> dogs. All happening at the same time.
>
> Other unexpected touches of beauty are first, the silence
> at night. No cars.
> No one out on the streets. And the heavens at night are
> scattered with
> stars. I usually can see about two, but now the whole sky
> is filled. The
> mountains are Sendai are solid and with the crisp air we
> can see them
> silhouetted against the sky magnificently.
>
> And the Japanese themselves are so wonderful. I come back
> to my shack to
> check on it each day, now to send this e-mail since the
> electricity is on,
> and I find food and water left in my entranceway. I have no
> idea from whom,
> but it is there. Old men in green hats go from door to door
> checking to see
> if everyone is OK. People talk to complete strangers asking
> if they need
> help. I see no signs of fear. Resignation, yes, but fear or
> panic, no.
>
> They tell us we can expect aftershocks, and even other
> major quakes, for
> another month or more. And we are getting constant tremors,
> rolls, shaking,
> rumbling. I am blessed in that I live in a part of Sendai
> that is a bit
> elevated, a bit more solid than other parts. So, so far
> this area is better
> off than others. Last night my friend's husband came in
> from the country,
> bringing food and water. Blessed again.
>
> Somehow at this time I realize from direct experience that
> there is indeed
> an enormous Cosmic evolutionary step that is occurring all
> over the world
> right at this moment. And somehow as I experience the
> events happening now
> in Japan, I can feel my heart opening very wide. My brother
> asked me if I
> felt so small because of all that is happening. I don't.
> Rather, I feel as
> part of something happening that much larger than myself.
> This wave of
> birthing (worldwide) is hard, and yet magnificent.
>
> Thank you again for your care and Love of me,
>
> With Love in return, to you all,
>
