Tragedies

Certain tragedies grab hold and won't let me rest. The sun shines, the sky is blue, but sadness hovers at the periphery of my mind. And I can't explain why I feel more connected to certain tragedies than others, becauuse all tragedies are loss. I remember the crash of flight 255 in Detroit. I looked at the pictures of the victims in the paper (pre computer days), studying the faces of families, honeymooners, business people. My eldest daughter had attended a seminar in Japan. A few months later the tsunami completely devastated Japanese villages. This past winter, I scrolled through photos of homes destroyed on the east coast by the large amount of snowfall. Over Memorial Day weekend, a foot of rain dropped on Texas, causing massive flooding. I read about a young high school student caught in the flood and drowning on her way home from prom. A husband who went under the flood waters and hasn't been seen since. A house ripped off stilts, carried downstream taking several family members downstream, It broke apart after crashing into a bridge. I can't imagine hurtling downstream in a house in the dark. Three men, three women, three children. So far only one man is accounted for, a dad and husband whose wife and children are missing. Three bodies have been pulled from the river awaiting identification. My thoughts and prayers are with the families in Texas who have suffered the loss of loved ones or their homes.