"Geodyne" wrote in message

Thanks Fran. Fortunatley for me, most were very distant family - cousins
of my two SsIL by marriage. They are very upset, of course as are we
all.

Yes. Knwoing the closeness makes it even worse, although Lord knows how
abolutley ghastly it has clearly been. It certainly puts other world news
and worries into perspective doesn't it?

It's probably a cold-hearted thing to say, but we're actually counting
out blessings because we had 5 immediate family members in Sri Lanka
that day - including H's brother and BIL's PIL. Some of them had been
in the village where most of the family were lost just a few days
before.

I don't think that is cold hearted at all - merely a justifiable relief not
to lose even more people who are closer to you.

The situation is soo ghastly that it is very hard to comprehend. I can't
remember any single other event that has resulted in such a response.
Whilst everyone I know has been simply Gobsmacked, they have certainly done
something practical to help - like give a generous financial donation and or
turn out their cupboards to give to the various appeals.

The other two near family members were SIL's sister and her husband, who
is a doctor and was in Sri Lanka for the first time. He immediately
volunteered his services after the tsunami hit and spent the rest of his
holiday going through affected areas, helping where he could. He said
that the level of devastation was total in many places.

That was very good of him. I hope he wasn't too traumatised by it all.

2 of our local Doctors are Sri Lankan and they know the areas wel and they
look stunned and they aren't even therel. Their fund raising/medical aid
effort is getting lots of support but that is only one of the local things
on the go. I must say that I'm really impressed with how people have
reacted.