This morning started out like many others, taking the dog out, skimming the newspapers, sipping my coffee. I was unusually tired this morning as some heavy winds came our way about 3 a.m. and woke me up. I got up to get some water and was tempted to turn on the TV but decided against it. I am glad I did.

When I reached for my trusty iPhone this morning and did my daily look-see on Facebook, one of my friends had written that she could not believe what was going on in Japan. I immediately logged into Google News and saw that Japan had been struck with an earthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter Scale. It is devastating to see what earthquakes do and the lives they affect.

I immediately turned on CNN and could not believe my eyes. Pictures of the tsunami spawned by the earthquake were unreal, surreal. Houses, cars, trucks and boats all being pushed along like they were tinker toys. The fury of the water was unbelievable with water reaching as far as 14 miles inward. Heartbreaking, heartbreaking. But even more heartbreaking is the fact that a colleague of mine left last week for Japan to visit her family. She is perhaps one of the nicest people I have ever met – a genuinely beautiful soul. It is my understanding that she had not been home in years and was so looking forward to seeing her family and seeing old faces and places. Before she left she bought some chocolate to take to her former school. She was excited, looking forward to a great adventure and going home.

As I write this we do not know what has happened to her. We pray for her well being and for that of her family. We are all worried sick and hope that they are all ok and will contact us as soon as they can. Bad things are not supposed to happen to good people – this time this disaster has really brought it home.

When my mom passed away, I was struck by how things that I used to think were important no longer mattered and that I got such joy out of the smallest things. She taught me a lesson that I sometimes forget and then something like this happens today and you don’t know the whereabouts of a very dear person and you are reminded once again. We sometimes forget what is truly important – family and friends. So to my friend in Japan, I love you – am praying for you. Come back home safe and sound.