{A Moment of Silence ... A Moment of Gratitude}

Days like today make me stop and think about how thankful I am for the normalcy in

my life and for the beings -- both people and animals -- that I'm lucky enough to love.

I can't imagine what the poor people in Japan have been going through for the last
12 hours. The chaos and loss must be absolutely overwhelming, and sadly they have

only begun to deal with what will no doubt be a very long and layered recovery. My

heartfelt condolences go out to them. They're up against such a comprehensive

scene of devastation and loss.

Photo credit: Google Images

The human, structural and economic toll will be huge, of course. But this morning

as I watched the coverage from the safety of my living room, my three little fury

angels were snuggled up around me. I thought about all the helpless animals in that

country who didn't survive or how the ones that did are no doubt operating in fear

as they navigate the new circumstances under their feet.

It made me appreciate living in Arizona. Yes, our summers are insane and a little over

the top, but we don't have to contend with hurricanes, tornadoes or earthquakes

(at this time anyway). So, on a day-to-day basis, my four-legged friends are safe and

won't have to worry about their lives getting thrown into total chaos. Today, I'm

grateful for that. I hope their world is always this safe, comfortable and predictable.