are you ready to meet your maker?

every day i hear something new about the disaster in japan.  the body count continues to rise, and fears continue to grow as news about the crippled nuke plant sound ominous.  recently the news talked about the bravery of the workers in the plant, who are in direct harm's way and are already experiencing the negative effects of exposure to radiation.

i remember commenting to hubby - "when those people accepted those jobs, did they realize this could happen?  did they realize they were going to work at a place that could be potentially harmful?"  i guess every job, in it's own way, can be hazardous to one's health.

i've also been thinking about what could happen if there is a complete meltdown.  can the radiation reach us?  how would it affect us?  i vaguely remember chernobyl - i was in 6th grade - but i was a kid and it really didn't mean much to me.

as a parent and an adult, this situation scares me.  what if i get sick?  what if my kids get sick?  what a shitty way to die - by radiation poisoning.  

the events in japan made me think about death.  am i ready?  no one's ever prepared to die.  i'm sure those people didn't think they would be swept out to sea when they woke up that morning.

i'm scared about dying.  but in a way...i'm not.  

i'm comforted by the fact that when i die, i'll be reunited with my pap and nana and pop pop, who all died before i was 12.  in recent years, close family friends passed on before their time, and it was a comfort that i would see them again in heaven.  being reunited with ani and mackenzie, my angel babies - i look forward to that.  seeing my loved ones again, my soul healthy and strong again - that's why i'm not scared of dying.  

i continue to pray for the people in japan, as they begin their slow road to recovery.  i pray that the damage at the nuke plant is contained.  i also send prayers to my friend and her family - they are safe and kept informed as situations arise.