Today when I think of Japan the image that comes to mind is not of its majestic snow capped mountains, luscious vegetation, sprawling metropolis or sweeping coastline.
Not even cherry blossoms come instantly to mind.
What I see when I think of Japan are images that would put the movie 2012 to shame.
Because that is what the citizens of Japan are living in right now.
Devastation of apocalyptic proportions.
- 8.9 magnitude quake
- 5th largest quake recorded
- 2,414 confirmed dead
- 10,000 estimated death toll
- 2 people found alive in rubble
- 5 million with out power
- 76,000 buildings destroyed
- 9.8 inches the Earth was thrown off axis
- 7.8 feet Japan was shifted
As I watched the events unfold in awe struck horror a growing pain of sympathy and helplessness over came me. I was overwhelmed. This was impossible! How can they ever come back? It keeps getting worse!
The tidbits of hope the news gave was hardly enough to sustain me when in the next breath more bad news flooded in like the tide that washed a thousand bodies on shore.
Then the obviously more brilliant ladies of my critique group came up with a plan while I walked around in a stupor. They created WRITE HOPE.
"Welcome to Write Hope! We're an international group of Kidlit writers with a connection to Japan. Some of us have lived there. Some of us speak the language. Some of us love the culture. Some of us simply think Japan is exotic and mysterious.
The land of the rising sun and cherry blossoms in spring.
These last few days one thing that binds us above all is our mutual horror at the disasters striking Japan - from earthquakes to tsunamis to nuclear meltdowns.
The land of the rising sun and cherry blossoms in spring.
These last few days one thing that binds us above all is our mutual horror at the disasters striking Japan - from earthquakes to tsunamis to nuclear meltdowns.
...
We want to do our bit to help. To that end we have formed Write Hope. We're busy preparing everything now and over the next few weeks we plan to auction kidlit books, critiques, and other prizes for donation to the relief fund of our chosen charity Save the Children. "
Genius, right? Donations have already been coming in and it looks like the wonderful community of kidlit writers are wanting to do their part in helping. You guys are all so cool!
This is Nozomi, she is Write Hope's Mascot.
