Samoan tsunamis, basement floods, and other thoughts on personal disaster

September 30, 10:13 AMChristian Living ExaminerJoanne Brokaw

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I went into the basement yesterday and stepped into 2" of water. Two inches of very warm water.

We'd had some heavy rains in the morning, and sometimes the gutters come unattached and pour water into the corner of the basement. But this wasn't rain water. It was water from the hot water tank.

It had been coming for a while. You know the signs; not enough hot water to take a shower or wash the dishes. Oh, and the fact that the tank celebrated its 15 year anniversary. You know, clues like that.

Because I'm not strong enough to turn off the water valve, water continued to pour into the tank - and then out of the tank - until the plumber could come. He fixed the problem quickly and easily enough - old tank out, new tank in, all for $750. And that was the "value" price for friends.

The water was drained from the basement fairly quickly through the sewer drain, and a network of fans and dehumidifiers got the floors dry by this morning. But there are still soggy baskets of laundry and boxes that need to be dealt with.

Oh, poor me.

I was thinking about that this morning while working on a story for Beliefnet about The Katinas. The Samoan-born brothers, who sing Christian pop and worship, are dealing with the aftermath of a tsunami that hit their beloved island this week. While their family was able to get to higher ground, their home and possessions, no doubt, were devastated by flood waters.

It's easy, sometimes, to get so wrapped up in our own private little traumas that we forget how bad things can really be. It's been frustrating not have enough hot water for a whole shower these past few months, and yet there are people in the world who not only don't have hot water to shower, they don't have clean water to drink. Think about that the next time you turn on the tap and let the water run until it's cold enough for a drink.

While I'm washing soggy baskets of laundry today, thousands of people in Samoa and American Samoa are picking through the remnants of their entire lives to see if anything is salvageable. Their homes are completely gone. Their clothing, their cars, their photos and all of their personal possessions except the clothes on their back. My soggy basement pales in comparison, doesn't it?
 
Today, while I go about my normal American life, I'll try and remember those less fortunate, pray for those who have less than I do, and remember to thank God for all of the small blessings that others don't enjoy. Perhaps you could do the same? 

PHOTO CAPTION: A main road in the downtown area of Fagatogo, is seen flooded by water from a tsunami located in the main town area in American Samoa on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009. Towering tsunami waves spawned by a powerful earthquake swept ashore on Samoa and American Samoa early Tuesday, flattening villages, killing at least 34 people and leaving dozens of workers missing at devastated National Park Service facilities. (AP Photo/Fili Sagapolutele)

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