In my yesterday's post I expressed my heartfelt reverence for values demonstrated by Japanese people during the times of turmoil. Today I want you to read an open letter from world’s most famous and extremely adored astrologer Susan Miller, myself being her greatest fan and follower.
Open Letter to the Japanese People
- By Susan Miller
You are not alone, my friends in Japan. I watched in horror as news reports concerning your recent earthquake, tsunami, and the damage to the nuclear reactors unfolded from day to day. The events were unthinkable and unfathomable - almost too much for anyone to endure.
The measure of a nation and its people, I feel, is revealed not in time of ease, but during times of peril. It is always during difficult times that we reveal the genuine character that lies beneath. I suppose in those times, we have no energy but to be our truest self. Now others will see a vast beauty that is inside you that is to be unmasked. In the case of Japan, a whole nation has shown remarkable strength and fortitude and an unshakable faith in the future.
Here in the United States, we gather in front of our televisions several times a day to get reports. We were able to see, close-up, the immeasurable suffering of those Japanese people who lost family members, their homes, and all their possessions. We saw that the relief efforts were taking a long time to get to those most needy, due to blocked roads and overwhelming destruction.
Despite much sorrow, we were touched to see the serene composure of the Japanese people and the powerful sense of community in the affected areas that linked stranger to stranger in a united brotherhood. Your countrymen's strength went far beyond what anyone would have expected under such trying circumstances. The compassion for others that was displayed by those who had lost so much touched me deeply.
We noticed that in Japan, there were no riots after the disaster, borne out of frustration and hunger. There was no pushing, shoving, or shouting - instead there were orderly lines of patient people waiting their turn to receive desperately needed food, water, and medical supplies. We all asked ourselves, under the same circumstances, would we have shown the same dignity and serenity of the people of Japan? I would like to think we would, but like any hypothetical situation, no one ever knows for sure until faced with the same severe circumstances. The people who stood in line were cold, hungry, and maybe even frightened, yet all waited calmly, as if to say, "Everyone here is equal in their pain. My needs are not more important than those of my neighbor."
God bless you, my friends in Japan. Your plight weighs heavily in the minds and hearts of every American. I live in New York City, and your situation has sparked heartfelt sympathy. We discuss your plight in every coffee shop, on every street corner, and over dinner in every household. Most of us are drawing up plans to raise money as quickly as possible. We care, and it is time to show that we do.
At times like these, many ask, why does the universe impose such suffering? We are small in the scheme of the wide universe, and in the end, we must admit that we have few answers concerning life's mysteries. We are but soldiers of a God who loves us and who will never forsake us. Despite how small and helpless we feel at times, we manage to press forward, for we have faith. The unflagging optimism and resourcefulness of the Japanese people has engendered deep admiration.
I feel you already know about the spiritual truths and mysteries of which I speak. Your people seem to be saying to us, "In times of greatest sorrow there is always comfort in caring for others." One young Japanese woman was reported to have carried her 88-year-old mother on her back over a far distance to get her mother to safety. It is scenes like that that move us and show us the spirit of the Japanese people. These scenes inspire me and other Americans, and we want to help.
Indeed, the ability to be compassionate, and to feel another's pain as if it were our own, is one of the highest of all human qualities. When one of us suffers, we all suffer. Your pain is our pain.
If this catastrophe has taught us anything, it is that the world is very small. Severe circumstances can come to any country at any time. We are all united in the family of man.
We will send you our humble donations, along with all our love and our prayers. We know you will never give up, no matter how dark the days might be on the road to recovery, because resilience is woven into the very fabric of the Japanese character. Pain can, at times, make you feel lonely and isolated, especially if others around you do not understand. Yet, we do understand. I will help you. America will help you. Other nations will help you.
I realize that you have strong national pride, as you should. I sense that you wish you would not need to rely on aid from others. Admittedly, help can sometimes be hard to accept. Yet perhaps in the midst of this disaster, the universe is whispering this golden truth to the Japanese people:
"Accept the love of others with open arms, for the ability to receive love is every bit as noble as the ability to give." Your generosity to others has always been given freely and with your whole heart. Now it is your turn to see how dearly others feel for you. In accepting love and help, there will be loving results, for the bond of our friendship will deepen and grow ever stronger.
Susan Miller
---------------------------------------------------------------------
I would like to find a way to help the victims of the recent tragedy in Japan. Each night I watch the news, and it has become increasingly heartbreaking to see events unfold. I can no longer stand by and watch helplessly while so many people experience such grief.
When disaster hit in Haiti last year, my two daughters and I rolled into action and collectively raised $17,000 for The American Red Cross' Haitian Effort. I know that was only a small amount of money, but I feel if each of us, in every household and community in America, can find a way to raise money, we all can make a difference to those who are suffering so much.
Many Astrology Zone readers are involved with important philanthropic causes. If you happen to be working on a major relief effort for the victims of the Japanese disaster or continue to help the people of Haiti, I would like to know about your good work. If you think I may be of help to your cause, please send me your proposal. By next month, I will choose the charity I will join to help Japan and several months later, Haiti. I will choose the charity that I feel will allow me to do the most good.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
