When tragedy strikes

The little crying girl.

In January of 2002, I flew Mikey back to New York to see Ground Zero. Having been on the west coast during the attacks, we were somewhat removed from all that was going on. For me, it didn't begin to hit home until later that week when my firm e-mailed out photos of our offices in the World Financial Center, just across the street from the twin towers. Windows blown out, everything destroyed, and the process of moving a multi-billion dollar business across state lines to Princeton, NJ was beginning.

In January, as Mike and I waited our turn to reach the viewing platform for the WTC, we noticed that someone left the "crying girl" doll along the side of the ramp. It brought most people to silence, if not tears, as we waited.

Watching the endless coverage of Hurricane Katrina brings back a lot of those memories. It's nearly impossible to even imagine putting ourselves in their shoes...dealing with losing absolutely everything. Well, nearly everything. As it's said, without faith, we have nothing. I truly couldn't imagine facing my life without it, in the face of a life-changing disaster.

In all of this, the goodness of people begins to glow...and shine. With five of our private client offices closed until further notice - Mobile, AL; Biloxi, MS; and the New Orleans, Metairie and Slidell offices in Louisiana - my firm released the news that they will be donating an initial $1 million to the relief efforts, and will be creating a separate matching gifts fund from the Merrill Lynch Foundation (outside our normal matching gifts, which is pretty sweet) for another initial $500,000 matching from their employees.

Much like the cross at Ground Zero, it will be interesting to see where God's grace comes in this. To see how people find the blessings in a tragedy with a magnitude such as this...in time.


Interesting links
Before and After satellite photos of New Orleans
An update on the bishops down south
Kaye's Hurricane Katrina Blog
A Priest's Perspective
Benedict's Telegram


Reflections
Going on after tragedy...
Prayers for the Hurricane victims
The Rosary for the victims of Katrina - from EWTN

"God has brought us to our knees in the face of devastation.
We do not really know how to respond.
Powerlessness leads us to prayer, and when we turn to God,

God offers us his grace."

-Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes,
Archbishop of New Orleans