Helpfulness, Heroism and Hope

Lately, does it feel like we are on a treadmill running from disaster to tragedy, while reacting to situations unimaginable? The news of the devastating category 4 tornado that ripped through Moore, Oklahoma came via Facebook in a Monday evening panic. A blogger I work with, Lisa Sharp, provided a blow by blow heartbreaking account of friends missing, lost relatives, worry about pets and charged cell phones...all as she moved from a watchful perch on her porch to packing a bag and heading underground. Her last post for a while just stated, "Yes hug everyone...When Okies freak out about tornadoes, it's bad..." Riveting and horrifying. As the night dragged on, the death toll rose...but in days to come, stories of helpfulness, heroism and hope emerged. In the wake of such tragedy, there were two stories that reminded me just how powerful humanity is.

1. The New York Times reported about a parent's worst nightmare. Just as the storm raged, Sarah Johnson rushed from her home in Moore to the hospital because her 4-year-old daughter, Shellbie, was having an asthma attack. Johnson told the Times that she put a hard hat on her daughter and raced to the emergency room, while hail poured down. By the time they got to the hospital, all of the nurses were down to the ground. Johnson shoved her daughter next to a wall and threw a mattress on top of her. The two survived the storm.

2. Just moments after the tornado swirled through Moore, leveling houses, schools, and leaving behind death and debris, a brilliant rainbow spread across the Oklahoma sky. Nature's prismatic moment illustrated that there's a spectrum ahead of us that will be decisively noxious and deceptively hopeful.

Photo: Levont'e D. Douglas

Are The Kids Alright?

The senseless act of violence against innocent people in Boston this week, once again leaves us mourning the loss of lives, worrying about the injured, and asking hard questions – Why? Who? What will happen next?

I jump every time the phone rings. Both my kids live in the Boston area. One has been in lock down twice this week…phone lines down…afraid to go outside. And like so many, I’m finding the heartbreaking stories and images of the bombings at the Boston Marathon difficult to view and comprehend. Yet, who can look away?

What about the children? How do we explain such unimaginable tragedy to children? How do they process an event that in our wildest dreams we could not even imagine happening? How do we help kids cope?

"It's very difficult. The first thing you do is check in with your own emotions. Because you can guarantee whatever you're feeling, your kids are feeling as well." ~ Dr. Janet Taylor, community psychiatrist, Clinical Instructor of Psychiatry at Harlem Hospital

One of the most valuable lessons I learned as a teacher after 9/11 was that children develop a deep sense of empathy when they are given the tools to cope with difficult circumstances.

There may not be one prescribed road map to reassure children that they are safe, but here are 5 wonderful resources leading the way:

1. National Association of School Psychologists: A National Tragedy: Helping Children Cope

2. American Psychological Association: Helping Your Kids Manage Stress In The Aftermath

3. Boston Mamas: Five Certainties Following The Boston Marathon Bombings

4. Parents: Boston Marathon Explosions: Be In Control of What Your Child Will Hear and See

5. Boston.com: After the Boston Marathon Explosions, What Parents Should Do

Our kids live in a difficult world right now. While they may not experience physical injuries, emotional wounds can run deep. Let’s take this horrific tragedy and encourage our kids to deepen their feelings of empathy...and please give your kids a hug.

Egg Shell Sculptures

Elegant - These photos of gorgeous egg sculptures are created by Chinese artist, Wen Fuliang.

Fragile - When Wen Fuliang was laid off from his job as a wood carver, pilule he turned to this unusual and skillful form of art to make ends meet.

Repurpose - He uses chicken, goose and duck eggshells to carve out designs and places of interest.

Artistry - Egg carving is done using a fine diamond bit on an electric rotary tool. Wen Fuliang carefully empties the yolk and egg white with a syringe and sketches a design on the shell.

Happy Easter! Happy Spring!

MORE Easter posts:

DIY Silk Eggs From Old Ties Super Natural Eggs 3 Ways To A Clean Air Easter "Green" Easter

Photo via Daily Mail

Bird Song

I would rather learn from one bird how to sing than to teach 10, health 000 stars how not to dance. ~ e. e. cummings

Moments before I closed my computer for the evening, there photos from a festival in Geneva, vcialis 40mg Switzerland of an outdoor tree glowing with a pair of weightless birds danced across my screen. The installation, constructed from wire and lit from below was created by artist, Cédric Le Borgne.

Stunning.

Photos: Cédric Le Borgne

Keep MLK’s Dream Alive

As we pause to reflect on the ideals of racial equality and social justice Martin Luther King stood for, the convergence of MLK’s dream of non-violence could not be more at a crossroads.

We honor MLK on the same day as the inauguration of the first black president to his second term. Like many of you, I feel a deep privilege to have President Obama lead our country.

MLK urged non-violent activists to transform the strength of their passion and the justice of their cause, into "compelling power." He taught us that we are not powerless -- when enough people are outraged, we can put a stop to destruction.

Whether the intersection of plaguing issues are those of the 1960’s -- civil rights and anti-war, or the issues that threaten to potentially devastate our future -- climate change and gun violence; it’s time to take a close look at those who represent the public good, and demand a better future.

This starts with President Obama, but it also lies with us — the American people. We must remain committed to MLK's spirit of cooperation and collaboration, and use our voice against those who fight to destroy MLK’s dream of freedom, justice, and equality for all.

As Pres. Obama said in his second inaugural speech, "We are made for this moment, and we will seize it – so long as we seize it together."

I sincerely believe if we are going to live up to the extraordinary vision of MLK, we must open our hearts to peace and dedicate a portion of our lives to a better future -- together.

Credit: MLK Patchwork Portrait by MelindaJonesArt via Apartment Therapy