I don't know what to write about it. I
feel numb and heart broken. People we love dearly had to evacuate
their houses in case of a flash flood. People we know got killed.
We drive on Highway 530 often, right past the mountain that collapsed
onto all these cars and houses.
We have several friends who are first
responders and arrived at the scene minutes after it happened,
pulling survivors out of the massive devastation. Everyone is
incredibly sad, and many break out into tears whenever they think
about it. The people who are trying to rescue and recover people are
facing hellish conditions.
Since we don't have television, I have
been obsessively monitoring the internet (or the radio when we are in
the car), to find any new information. Our neighbors have TV, so I
go up there in the evenings to listen to the press conferences and
news.
Everyone desperately wants to help,
including us. One night, there was word that they were looking for
local volunteers with chainsaws and equipment to come help dig
through the mess, and Steve was ready to go. But then they got
swamped with responses, and everyone was told not to come.
Today we went to the town of Darrington
to deliver food and care packets to residents and volunteers.
Darrington is close to Oso and got cut off because of the mud slide.
We regularly go to this town for its library and lively contra
dances. Today, it was a media circus. Several TV stations are set
up in front of the local grocery store and community center.
We were struck with the strong
community spirit there. As we parked our car by the community
center, we immediately ran into an acquaintance who directed us to
the kitchen. We delivered the food cooked by our neighbor, and also
some of my goat cheese and goat milk soaps. The hall was a bustle of
activity with people cooking, providing food and a place for families
to gather. Upstairs, donations were being delivered and stored. A
lot of sadness hung in the air, but also a lot of love. We witnessed
many hugs.
Once we got outside, we were approached
by a young man who turned out to be a reporter for Kiro News. He was
very respectful of our space and told us he would leave us alone if
we didn't want to talk, but might we be willing to answer a question?
“How do you talk with your kids about all of this?”
I usually don't have much patience with
media, but I was intrigued by the question. I think it's an
important one. So we let ourselves be interviewed by this man who
was incredibly sensitive to the situation. Even Kai and Lukas
talked.
Both Steve and I feel it is very
important to be open and truthful with our children, and to address
their questions and fears. Since we don't have TV, our kids haven't
been bombarded with images too much, but they do see pictures and
videos I monitor on the internet and listen to the radio reports.
They also see my own grief and my own tears, and they understand how
tragic this really is. We've been talking with them a lot,
especially addressing their concerns about a mudslide happening close
to our house.
Our hearts go out to everyone who has been touched by this tragedy.
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