Friday, March 11, started out as a usual morning. I was making lunches for the children while they ate breakfast. We talked about plans for the day and weekend. But, March 11 has special meaning for our family as it marked the 5th anniversary of Joe Maloney's death. Phillip called his mom. We all miss Grandpa very much.
I spent much of the morning and early afternoon preparing an emergency kit for our family. There was a class earlier in the week that talked about how to prepare for an emergency, so a friend and I decided to get these done right away. We shopped in the morning, and then put everything into bags after lunch. I was just headed out to exercise when I stopped to check my email on the computer in the breakfast room. I heard creaking noises, like someone walking really hard on loose hardwood above me, and beside me, .... I felt like I was swaying. I looked at the chandelier. It was swaying. I saw the door moving back and forth, back and forth, and then I heard doors slam. The movement continued for what seemed like a very long time. In reality, it was probably 4-5 minutes. I called a friend, and asked, "Is this an earthquake?" Phillip called from P&G to check in. My text started beeping as a set of 9 friends were talking over text about what we were learning, how scared we were, and what we should do. I felt sick.
Fortunately, my friend Megan (with whom I made the emergency kit) was volunteering at the school. She was sending us texts of what was going on there. The kids were in "duck and cover". They were given the all clear, and then they went back into "duck and cover" during an after shock. After the next all clear, the kids were dismissed at 3:25pm normal time. I called Jacob to tell him to get his brother and sister and come home together. Matthew called me in tears and asked, "Mom, are you ok? I heard the Entente (our apartment building) was moving. Are you ok?" I reassured him and asked him to stay with Jacob and Jessica. Our dear friend Megan had about 25 kids walking home with her as she was the only parent there at the time that was heading our way. The kids arrived to find that the elevator was stopped for safety. They walked up 27 flights of stairs to our apartment. These hugs were the best ever. We were so very happy for this reunion.
I had turned on CNN via Slingbox. I could not believe my eyes. 8.9 magnitude earthquake? 8.9? Now, the tsunami. The after shocks continued. This poor city of Sendai, the closest city to the epicenter. A city of a million people. Devastated. The airport under water. Sendai Airport. Sendai Airport. My son, Jacob, along with his entire 7th grade class, was in that airport 3 weeks ago in route to the annual ski trip. Sendai airport. I felt sick again.
We were pretty much consumed by CNN the rest of the evening. We realized that the US would be waking up to this news, so we sent emails to family and friends. I updated my Facebook status.
In January, our family planned a trip to Hiroshima and Miyajima for this Saturday, March 12. This is the only weekend without middle school sports except for the spring break. So, we bought our tickets for the shinkansken (bullet train) and trolley/entrance fees for those 2 areas. In preparation for the trip, I had been reading a book called Sadako and the 1000 Paper Cranes. We needed to finish the book on Friday. So, I read just before dinner. Sadako was 2 years old when the atomic bomb hit Hiroshima. She was a very active little girl, and a very fast runner. But, at age 11, she developed leukemia. Sadako wanted to make 1000 paper cranes so that the gods would heal her. She died at age 12. Our book said that she did not get to the 1000, but her friends finished these and buried the cranes with her. (Other accounts said that she did actually finish the 1000 cranes.) This was a very sad story to tell on what had been an emotional day already.
All 3 kids came to lay in bed with me. Our night came as the US morning began. We started getting calls, email messages, FB messages. I worked to communicate on the computer for a while, as Phillip fielded calls and sent out messages as well. No one slept very much that night. Phillip and I continued to follow the news throughout the night. We felt additional after shocks. The children were restless. It feels so surreal. There is so much tragedy right now just a few hundred miles away from us. We have felt the earthquake and the after shocks, and we have been scared. But, we are ok. No damage. No injuries.
We have found the people here in Japan to be very kind and caring. We continue to pray for all those affected by the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear power plants. They need our prayers and our support.
March 11, 2011. Another day we will always remember.
Peace and Love,
Tina
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