Japan

I was just looking at some pictures from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. There are so many things that can be taken from something like this... A guarded (or otherwise overwhelming) sorrow and sympathy for their suffering, a desire to help, a feeling of helplessness because the task is so great, a reminder that this life is not all there is, a gratitude for that faith, a guilty reminder of the value and necessity of food storage and emergency preparedness, a gratitude for humanitarian work, a re-realization that no matter what problems I might be facing right now, it could be so much worse, the reminder to count my blessings - while I have them.
One of the things I thought about was a talk by Elder Ballard a few years ago.
He said: "Several of the Brethren and I recently visited a few of the refugee centers in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas where devastated and displaced victims of Hurricane Katrina were staying as they began to try to put their lives back together. Their stories and situations are tragic and poignant in many ways, but in all that I heard, what touched me most was the crying out for family. "Where is my mother?" "I can't find my son." "I've lost a sister." These were hungry, frightened people who had lost everything and needed food, medical attention, and help of all kinds, but what they wanted and needed most was their families."
I think this is a good reminder of what REALLY matters most. The title of Elder Ballard's talk explains what I mean: "What Matters Most Is What Lasts Longest".