rising from the tsunami

on March 11, 2011, a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami devastated the coast of northeast Japan, claiming an estimated 20,000 lives… today is the ten-year anniversary of the disaster and marks a decade of mourning, recovery, and rebuilding for those who lost loved ones and whose homes and villages were destroyed…

  for those who survived the tsunami, the spirits of the dead are still very much alive with some survivors saying that the tragic event tore a hole in the veil between the living and dead… many have reported seeing the wandering souls of the victims whose bodies were never found…

as Japan fell quiet at 2:46 p.m. today to mark the minute that the earthquake began 10 years ago, many walked to the seaside or visited graves to pray for relatives and friends washed away by the water… Emperor Naruhito and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga were among those observing a moment of silence at a memorial in Tokyo…

the days following the quake were terrifying for many in Japan and farther afield, as hydrogen explosions released radiation into the air and technicians worked furiously to try to cool the plant’s nuclear fuel by pumping in seawater… in addition to the more than 20,000 people who died mostly in the tsunami, nearly half a million people were displaced and more than 40,000 are still unable to return home…

as rising from the tsunami progresses with rebuilding, recovery of the survivors’ hearts is slower with the cries of the children, the elderly and those in the prime of life still echoing as the tides roll in and out… may peace and solace deepen in our one heart…