The Worst of Times/The Best of Times - The Self Improvement Blog

By Irene Conlan ?

I can?t even begin to imagine what the people in Sandy?s path are experiencing. What happens to you? as a human being when your home and all your belongings are washed or blown away, when your children are ripped from your arms and drowned, when you have no electricity, no food, no water and no contact with another person for days. Magnify that by millions and it?s more than the mind can wrap around. We were warned. But sometimes there?s no place to go that?s far enough away to be safe. We were warned but the predictions are often so different from reality that some thought it was worth the risk to stay and tough it out. We were warned but ?who really knew what was coming? We had Katrina as as an example but no one could even imagine a storm of this magnitude. The suffering in the aftermath is something we have never witnessed before in this country on this scale. Hunger, cold, injury, isolation, feelings of abandonment, anger, grief?every emotion in play. And another storm on its way.

Our hearts go out to everyone affected.

We see two major groups of people emerging in this time of? chaos: those who come to give and those who come to take.

Those who come to help, come with open hands and hearts. They bring boats to rescue others. They provide shelter and food. They extend a hand of comfort and reach into their pockets to give of what they have in order to help those in the midst of the devastation. We have seen the best of humanity as Sandy swept through this part of the planet. We have seen it in those who were ?just doing their job? but doing it heroically?firemen, policemen, doctors, nurses, utility workers. Please excuse me all of you? I have left out. There are so many who have gone above and beyond the scope of their work. We have seen it in both friends and strangers who came to help and work tirelessly in rescue efforts and in sheltering the now homeless. We have read stories of bravery beyond imagining and of generosity that goes beyond what we have seen before.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. That just doesn?t express it, does it?

We are also? seeing the worst.? Looters are working hard. Big screen TVs were a big target but people were taking anything. One report said??It was a mob of people. Fifty to a hundred. They were just running?down the street grabbing anything that wasn?t nailed down,?? They swept through Coney Island as the water receded? helping themselves.? Signs like this began to spring up in the flooded areas. Businesses that had already been severely damaged by the storm were decimated by those who came to steal what was left.If they are caught their penalty should be automatically doubled by the judge.

But the lowest of the low are now establishing fake charities hoping to take advantage of the generosity of people all over the country who can?t physically go to help but want to give to the effort of helping. Some of the major TV networks are holding fund raisers. These are save.? The American Institute of Philanthropy gives this list of organizations that will use your donations honestly.? (These listed have been graded ? an ?A? or ?B? grade is based on the portion of their budget going to program services and their fundraising efficiency).

I truly hope that not ONE of the fake charities receives a donation. And for those of you who are taking advantage of the suffering in any way, know that what goes around comes around. You may reap what you sow sooner than you expect. It?s simply a law of the Universe.

There is great value in prayer and if you can?t help in any other way, spend some time in prayer and meditation.

?

Source: http://theselfimprovementblog.com/self-improvement/featured/the-worst-of-timesthe-best-of-times/

jay z patsy cline pierre thomas beyonce gives birth portlandia kelly clarkson playoffs