Today marks two years since the Japan tsunami. For anyone who can manage watching the haunting images again, the SMH website has put together a beautiful video tribute: http://media.smh.com.au/selections/japanese-tsunami-two-years-on-4099709.html.
It is poignant for several reasons. Firstly of course, is the loss of life, the vast change in lives and environment for the Japanese. They are too, still recovering and rebuilding.
Secondly, for us, Sophie was to leave a school trip to Japan one month after the Tsunami struck. Of course the trip was cancelled. For several months before the trip, we had been watching her weight slowly slide down, and were desperately trying to keep her weight safe enough to travel. We knew without a doubt that when the two week trip was over she would get off the plane and go straight into hospital. There was no way she would have eaten enough to stop losing weight. We were trying to organize how to pack certain ‘safe’ foods etc she could take that she would eat – also knowing they would probably not come out of the case.
However the cancellation decided for her what was to happen. She halved her food intake (which was low anyway) the day the trip was cancelled. In 5 days, she halved again. Within 3 weeks she was in hospital gain for the next 9 weeks.
It means a lot this two year anniversary too, in that the trip is scheduled again this year, and she is booked to go. They leave in 4 weeks. We are all praying that lightening doesn’t strike twice.
