The Spirit of The Japanese People and Their Pets!

I have been praying for all people impacted by the latest quake and tsunami in Japan. Let your spirits not be broken by this tragedy. What a spirit the Japanese people have! Such a difference in their response to that of both the Haiti quake and the New Orleans hurricane. No looting. People quietly and politely standing in line for water, fuel, and food. People showing others respect and honouring their grief. A society that respects the individual, and truly treats all people as equals, not the faux equality of the politically correct telling us that all cultures are equal, they are not, just as all individuals are not equal.

Often forgotten during these disasters are the animals. I wonder if the young lady in this picture would leave her luggage behind to save her dog, I suspect she would.
In times of grief and suffering, a dog can provide a silent comfort, like this picture shows.
God might not always live in your heart, but he lives everyday in what you see, feel and do. I am glad that dogs are providing some level of comfort to the Japanese people.

ARAHAMA, Miyagi Prefecture—When the tsunami warnings sounded after the massive earthquake that struck Japan on Friday, Masaki Kikuchi sprinted upstairs to grab his sleeping 12-year-old daughter before racing away to escape the rushing waters.

In the backyard tied to a small shed, Mr. Kikuchi left behind two dogs: Towa, a two-year-old Sheltie and Melody, a one-year-old Golden Retriever. Mr. Kikuchi assumed the giant tsunami that flattened his neighbors' homes and whisked away their cars probably killed Towa and Melody too.

.........

Two days after the earthquake, Mr. Kikuchi ventured out from the evacuation center where his family had reunited unharmed. He walked in rubber boots on the debris-covered roads still covered in floodwater with his feet sinking in the thick mud below.

When he finally got to the house, sidestepping a car that had shifted to block the entrance to the driveway, he could hear the barking.

"I was happy to see them because I had felt badly about leaving them behind," said Mr. Kikuchi. He gave them water, food and brought them inside after cleaning them up.

But the most interesting quote, that gives a real feel for how the Japanese are coping with this disaster, is this:

Ms. Kikuchi, her face still red with excitement, said she was so happy to see the dogs, a bit of good news in an otherwise tragic event. "When my father told me they were alive, I was so excited," she said. "It's been so stressful. It's so good to see them"

Mr. Kikuchi and his daughter said they will come back every day to look after the dogs, but they are not going to bring the dogs to the shelter.

"There are lots of people dead and it's too much to ask to bring the dogs," said Mr. Kikuchi. "It would be inconsiderate to other people's sadness."

The spirit of the Japanese people... maybe we should turn to them for our inspiration next time we have a tragedy impact us. It makes Canadian politics seem so trivial right now.