While we can all point fingers and find every conceivable human error in the disaster after the disaster, sometimes we should stand back and take a look at the big picture.

Life is a progression of stages, some good, some bad and then there’s the sudden and unexpected as well. There’s an old saying, “everything happens for a reason.” That is absolutely true. I thought today that some people who needed to move on and away from their homes are suddenly on their way to a whole new life. It doesn’t mean that it’s not a painful process, for surely it is, but the evolution from the disaster could portend unbelievably good results for many.

If one is from the poor inner city, this transition might net them a fresh start which will gain benefits never imagined. First, some charity organization will provide funding for some people to get back on their feet and as they explore the world of new opportunities, education and training for better positions may be in the offing, versus being in the same rut would have never gotten them anywhere.

For those who return and rebuild they are going to have homes that have been upgraded substantially. I took a serious look at some of the homes which were flooded and they were not in very good condition. So though they can’t live there until matters improve, the improvement will be dramatically better than they would have ever had without the storm.

Do we remember that they needed tsunami detectors long before the Indonesia quake and there was no way to get them? But today the money and the plans to implement these detectors is present. The future for others down the road has been changed.

New Orleans and other cities will be rebuilt, but maybe not the extent that they were before and with total failure maybe some issues which should have been addressed long ago will be taken care of in the process. The best lessons in life are always the most painful, yet the most rewarding in education, be it on a personal level or a governmental one. Change for the better is inevitable.

And lastly we have to ask ourselves; have these two severe disasters changed the way we feel or how we take action after such events? Are we preparing for our own possible disasters yet to be realized? How much have we learned and how much will we learn from witnessing the plight of others? Much, I hope.

Petra