The Japan Effect

"I know I keep saying it, but I really wish I was in Japan right now."
A sentence my brother has uttered to me said daily since the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear disaster happened in Japan.
To some people, hearing both of us say that might sound a little strange. Why would we want to be there in the middle of a natural disaster? Japan is where we grew up, it is our home so naturally we want to be there to help the people we love rebuild a country we love.
Hours after the earthquake my Dad was skyping and e-mailing our close family friends, The Sato's, to make sure everyone in their family was accounted for. We got word that everyone was safe but Tomoko and Yuka were stuck in Tokyo because of the trains.
My family being one that is familiar with disaster (and being Mormon) we knew immediately that the Satos would most likely need an emergency food source since the grocery stores were quickly running out of food and batteries. My Dad consulted my brother and I on the best brand of backpacking food and then took off for Costco to buy a life type supply of batteries and dried food for back packing. The next day it was shipped off to the Sato's, since they were still receiving mail in Fujisawa. I received a forwarded e-mail from Sato san a few days later that read, "You are such a great man. We opened boxes. Surprise ! Many batteries.Lamps! foods.survival goods. You absolutely Ultra man ! We just laugh and then tears... We have great family in USA. Really appreciate you and Jodie san. No words for thanks. If you can open attached movie files,watch our joy."
Since the Sato's are family to us, Eric and I decided to send our own box to them. One filled with all the sweet moral boosters you could ever need. Girl Scout cookies, Ritter Sport, and Fruit Loops.
Ok, I know what you are thinking, but in the middle of a crisis wouldn't you want something to boost your moral?Sure, we could have saved that money we spent sending a package to them and donated it to a relief fund, but I am happy to know that my contribution is going to directly impact people I love.
I am encouraging everyone I know to donate whatever they can to support the cause in Japan. Whatever you can donate, they can use.