Everytime my grandma hears of a ship capsizing, she waits in fear and dread for confirmation that my uncle is still alive. My uncle is First Mate for an international shipping line. But of course, my grandma cannot keep track of which one it is. For her ship sinking = possibility that her son was on it.
I was surprised when I got an email from my brother-in-law inquiring whether my family and friends were affected by the typhoon. Was it that bad? How could I be so behind on news from home. So I dragged myself off the bed and grabbed my computer to see what was on the news about the Philippines. At the same time, I called my mom. Then my sister. Then my grandma.
Whew! We are not that affected by the typhoon. My uncle is alive. It wasn’t his ship that sunk. And all the members of my family are alive and well. My dad lost this year’s crop of corn but that’s a very small problem compared to those who lost loved ones at sea. Or those who don’t even know if their family or friend is still alive or floating around somewhere.
I have never been on a ferry or boat when a typhoon is on. Even if it was just a little windy or rainy, we weren’t allowed to go on our little canoe. Tragedies like these could have been avoided by a little bit more caution. My prayers are with those affected.
