Is the earth just getting old and creaky? Can a planet exist forever? Stasis is anathema to humans, surely, but what about non-human life forms? What about Earth? How can this latest disaster possibly be a healthy change?

I know that, in order to bring about the new, old things must die away. That “old things” are innocent people by the hundreds, and before this is over, likely thousands, is hard to grasp. I know, it’s happened before and it will again, somewhere else. And while I don’t want to go all Kushner or have a religious/ethical debate (because let’s face it, anyone who thinks he has a definitive answer is delusional), I must say I am at a loss to come up with a reason why babies must be swept away by a 50 MPH ocean wave.

The best we can do in these situations is our small part to help. I urge you to do that today, as I am going to. It is no understatement that life is too short, and that at any moment, everything you love can be gone. I plan to hug everyone a little tighter this weekend.

FO