When I was a kid I couldn't wait to grow up. I was so tired of not being taken seriously, so fed up with having my questions and concerns passed off as just the cute ramblings or interests of a child.
I kept telling myself how wonderful it must be to be an adult, to be respected and be able to make your own decisions.
Not even my love for the Little Prince could convince me otherwise.
Now that I'm a grown man, I wish I could tell the younger me to not be so anxious.
Responsibility isn't without heartache, without challenges, without pain.
It's been an incredible year, as always. I'm sure this is far from the last post this month, and hopefully will make up for the vast gap in thought in the latter half of this year. I try to take stock of my life around this time every year, and although the blessings are so very many, the greatest of which is right beside me, playing solitaire at 4 in the morning as usual, there have been so many moments which test every particle of my being.
This week, flash flooding in southern Philippines swept through Cayagan De Oro and Iligan cities on Mindanao Island, leaving more than 4957 people dead and at least 1,582 injured. Typhoon Sendong (also referred to as Typhoon Washi), struck over the weekend, sweeping entire villages away and leaving tens of thousands of people homeless.
About 10,345 homes have been partially damaged or completely destroyed by floodwaters. In Cagayan de Oro, four schools were found completely submerged in water, and in Caraga, communities suffered loss of livestock, fisheries, and crops. Overall, about eight cities in 13 provinces were severely affected by the storm.
It's impossible to avoid being taken back to Cyclone Sidr... in the past 48 hours I've been negotiating and arranging for funds, medical supplies, building supplies, clothing and toys to be sent to the area so that our brothers, themselves trying so valiantly to deal with destroyed homes and a headquarters deep under water, can do what they can to help those around them recover and rebuild...
It hurts.
It's taking every ounce of self-control to not hop on a flight to join Brian there right now, particularly as the messages and emails are now rolling in asking when I'll be there... for all of the anguish and trauma Sidr left on me, I'm so very hurt that Brian is now experiencing this tragedy for himself.
I wouldn't wish this pain on anyone, least of all my family.
...and there goes 2 days of being lost in memories of those days. I just can't seem to shake them. Not sure I want to...
There's just so much to be done, and so little time to do it...
Sound familiar?
Wuddup Brian, so proud of you right now... so heartbroken you had to experience this.
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