Pray for Japan

Perhaps I don't have the right to say anything,
perhaps I don't have the right to be sad for Japan,
perhaps I don't have the right to even want to help Japan.

After all, Singapore is so sheltered from every natural disaster possible,
to say "I feel your pain" would be nothing short of a lie,
of hypocrisy.

But I'm so sad.
Till my tears won't stop falling.
Perhaps I don't even have the right to cry for those who are suffering,
but I can't seem to stop them.

And I don't know if prayers will work,
because my thoughts are so clouded,
and I hear those 2 familiar voices in my head telling me what to do,
contradicting each other so much I wish I could cover my ears to shut them up,
but they just won't and can't shut up no matter what I do.

I don't even know if my prayers will seem shallow,
but they probably will,
since I've never been through such calamity I can't feel that same anguish so many people in Japan are experiencing right now.

It's really unfair.
To not be able to help.
To not be able to understand.

I feel like a bystander,
looking at everything through a window,
unable to reach my hand out and help.

Perhaps, I'm not even allowed the rights to have such thoughts to help either...

But I'll still pray.
Even though sentences can't seem to form,
even though I don't know what I'm saying,
even though I can't seem to gather my thoughts.

My prayers will have to come in the form of words typed out.
Because this is the only way I can rearrange the puzzle and lessen the fog in my head.
Because this is the only way I can shut those 2 voices up for a while.

I pray,
for the people suffering in Japan.
I'll never be able to fully understand,
or even comprehend the situation they are in now.
I may not be the right person to offer any words of comfort or encouragement cos it may seem jarring to those hearing it,
but I pray that help reaches those in need a.s.a.p.
Hygiene level in disaster hit areas are dropping rapidly,
and there aren't enough clean diapers for babies in those affected areas.
And lack of fuel prevents trucks carrying help from reaching these people in such desperate needs.

I pray,
for those who family members and friends are still missing.
Even as the clock ticks,
hope slowly diminishes.
But please,
somehow,
through some miracle,
any miracle,
let those missing people be found alive.
I can't imagine the anguish of finding out that your family member died in the earthquake or got washed away by the tsunami.
I can't imagine the growing anxiety as each day passes yet news of loved ones doesn't reach your ears.

I pray,
for the nuclear disaster in Fukushima.
Please,
don't let a nuclear meltdown occur.
Please,
let everything remain safe.
Please,
don't allow any nuclear radiation to escape.
Even as Japan faces an energy shortage crisis right now,
please let power supply be restored soon.

Everytime I think about the sad fate of Minamisanriku,
I can't help but cry.
I can't help but imagine the terrifying moment the tsunami came and engulfed them.
The huge wall of water lunging towards them,
realizing that they needed to get to higher ground,
their desperate scramble against the tide of time and water that came crashing towards them.
Many didn't survive,
so many were washed away.
Who can fully comprehend that few seconds,
that few minutes when Nature came and destroyed everything and everyone in its path?

It's really just too sad.
The people,
the town,
the before and after,
the ruins.

I pray,
for everyone who lost their loved ones in this disaster.
You probably might find this prayer really shallow and hypocritical,
coming from someone who has been sheltered from such disasters all her life.
Perhaps, any form of encouraging words may already sound jarring to your ears,
but in any case,
I pray that you will find the strength to carry on living,
find the strength to be strong.
it's difficult,
but do-able.





Thankfully, G told me that my care and concern isn't hypocrisy.
Whatever way we can help,
we should help.
Because at this point,
every smallest action,
to those who are in need,
is a very big action.

No matter how sad we are,
we need to stay strong.
Because the Japanese people who are suffering,
who are worrying about their missing loved ones,
need our encouragement and strength to keep them going.
So I won't cry.
I'll try not to.
Because Japan needs us.