tornado of emotion

how do natural disasters make you feel?

last night, joplin missouri was hit by a horrible tornado, killing almost one hundred people. houses, businesses, and even the local hospital were damaged and destroyed. cars sit mangled on the side of the road, looking as though they were chewed up by some bloodthirsty beast.

i feel so many things when something like this happens. my heart aches for those victims, now without homes. possessions are gone. pets are gone. loved ones could be missing or part of the fatality list. there is nowhere to go for help, because the phone and power lines are down. others that could help you are in need of help themselves. i can't imagine the helplessness that they must feel.

i bet they never thought it would happen to them. that's a terrifying thought, because in the back of most people's minds (mine included), you don't truly believe it could. for the next few days, people all over the country will be on guard for approaching storms, talking about exit strategies with their families, perhaps upgrading their insurance. in a few weeks, this storm won't have this same affect.

these disasters remind me of how fragile life is, and how little material stuff matters. last night as i lay in bed, knowing my son was sleeping on the other end of the house, i wondered exactly how long it would take to get to him if i had to. five seconds was too long, in my opinion.

it doesn't match the intensity of the victim's emotions, but this tragedy makes me feel helpless as well. short of building a bomb shelter underground, you can't fix a tornado, and even that isn't foolproof. a tornado, to quote "twister", literally is like the "finger of god"-and it's one of his creations that proves we are nothing.