Gratitude. Right now.

As an update to my last post: no, the San Francisco area didn’t receive snow.  Websites devoted to the possibility of flurries were created, people were on the ready with makeshift sleds, but it was a no show (no snow).

Today we woke up to tsunami warnings.

My heart is breaking thinking of what the people in Japan are experiencing right now.  This thing hit at about 2:45 in the afternoon local time.  The last I saw on the news, it is the middle of the night and near standstill for the folks trying to get out of Tokyo to get to their loved ones.  Those being interviewed are still trembling from the sheer intensity of what they experienced.  8.9 is mind-boggling. 

We experienced the 7.1 magnitude Loma Prieta quake in 1989.  It was scary and it was strong.  There was a lot of damage in the town of Los Gatos where I lived at the time.  To comprehend the intensity of an 8.9 magnitude, I just had to Google “Richter Scale for Kids “ to understand.  There it explains, “The Richter scale grows by powers of 10.  An increase of 1 point means the strength of a quake is 10 time greater than the level before it.  Here's how it works:  An earthquake registering 2.0 on the Richter scale is 10 times stronger than a quake registering 1.0.  A quake registering 3.0 is 10 X 10 or 100 times stronger than a quake registering 1.0  A 4.0 is 10 X 10 X 10 or 1,000 times greater than 1.0 and so on.”  So is my math correct – 8.9 is almost 100 times greater than 7.1?  Unimaginable.

The California coast is a “couple of cycles”, or series of waves, into the tsunami.  My favorite beach communities are experiencing damage.  The harbor has been destroyed in Crescent City, a town up north.  Road closures are in effect.  High tide will hit this afternoon.

I know.  I tend to be an alarmist.  I tend to become riveted in front of the TV or computer listening to the latest feed from CNN.  My bad.

But here’s the thing.  This is the time to send a huge collective bubble of love to the people in Japan still reeling in fear.  And more importantly, and closer to home, it’s another very real reminder to be grateful.  So very grateful for this beautiful day we’ve woken up to.  Tell your loved ones how much you love them.  Smile at a stranger.  Try to make someone’s day a little better today. 

Peace.