Life Is A Mystery

The empty nesters have never been to Japan.  However, since California is home to 55% of the nation’s Asian population, we are often reminded of the influence Japanese culture has in our world.  From cameras to TVs to cars, and most significantly to our kids, sushi restaurants, Japanese customs and ingenuity are part of our everyday lives.

The constant threat of earthquakes is another commonality we share.  For those of you who have never experienced the earth shaking to its core with no safe place to grab, it is beyond frightening and unsettling. Watching and listening to the walls of your home sway and groan is an experience that literally rocks your world, and not in a good way. 

An earthquake alone is scary; add a force of water so strong that heavy truck, homes and boats are moved around like LEGOS and you cannot possibly wrap your head around the disaster.  With radiation leaks from a nuclear power plant added to the mix the tragedy unfolding is beyond measure.

As we write this, the tragedy in Japan is almost 2 weeks old and there appears to be no end in sight for the misery that has befallen our ally.  The damaged Fukushima plant continues to be a cause of concern and a message to the entire world that nuclear energy comes at a dire cost.  Humans can try and plan for every possible variable, but nature always steps up to remind us who really is boss.

We are saddened by the tremendous loss of life and reminded that all that we know and love can be taken away in an instant, through no fault of our own.  Here are a few agencies providing relief to the earthquake and tsunami victims:

The Jewish Coalition for Disaster Relief:https://www.jdc.org/donation/donate.aspx?type=JCDR

The Jewish Joint Distribution Committee:https://jdc.org/donation/donate.aspx

The Jewish Federation: http://www.jewishfederations.org/page.aspx?id=238775

If you would like additional choices, try charitynavigator.org.  That is a fantastic resource if you want to check out the efficiency of a particular charitable organization.

Join the empty nesters on Wednesday, March 23 at 11AM PT on www.blogtalkradio.com/emptynesters.  As always, if you cannot listen LIVE you can check out any show, any time by simply clicking on the above link.