Is everyone alright?

[Tonichelle]

With the devastating Tornados of late, I think we need to do a kind of roll call. If you're in one of the areas getting hit, please please please let us know you're well! I just lost a friend and her husband tonight in the Joplin, MO tornado.

[Blue Bead]

Toni....I'm so sorry about the loss of your friends; please accept my condolences.

[Olympia]

Toni, I'm so sorry to hear that. I got chills when I heard about Joplin; it seems as if a good part of the city was flattened. Dreadful.

Once one joins a forum or other internet group, one really comes to understand John Donne's sermon about no man being an island ("Any man's death diminishes me"). One forms ties to people in so many places, and everything hits home. That's a good thing, in balance: it increases our field of compassion. But it can be heart-wrenching.

[jcoates]

Toni,

My condolences to you on your loss. I too have friends in that part of the country and worry for their safety. These storms are pretty terrifying. Sadly they seem to be becoming more frequent and widespread each year. We even had some earlier this month where I live in the Maryland/DC/Virginia area. A few died here as well. Hopefully, there won't be any more of these disasters.

[Dee4707]

Toni, sorry to hear about your friends. The tornados are all around Nebraska, it really is scary.

[demarinis5]

Toni I am so sorry about your friends, my condolences.

Dee stay safe.

[jcoates]

To follow up on Toni's theme for this thread, I hope that all members in Oklahoma are ok. If you have done so, please take shelter and be safe.

[dorispulaski]

I hope everyone's friends in Missouri and Oklahoma will stay safe. Toni, I am very sorry to hear that you have lost your friends in Joplin.

[Tonichelle]

The Tornado in TX today touched down (or was threatening to?) near family friends of mine... to say I'm getting a little gun shy is an understatement when it comes to these tornado warnings and hits! STAY SAFE!

[Tonichelle]

watching the coverage on CNN. it's heartbreaking listening to the family members still searching for their missing loved ones. especially the parents.

[Olympia]

It's dreadful, isn't it, Toni? I think the one that got me hardest was the mother painting her phone number on a car. I don't know whether it would be worse to be the only one undergoing such a situation or whether it's worse when everyone around also has been affected.

[show 42]

So sorry Toni. My husband has relatives in Oklahoma that we are worried about. We had tornados touch down in Northern California yesterday...that never happens here as we are earthquake prone. Mother Nature is having her way.....42

[Tonichelle]

tornados in N. Cali???? where abouts?

[heyang]

A consultant at work had a scare in early May. Fortunately, his mother and stepfather had left for vacation when a tornado destroyed their home and their boat. That was teh worst of the damage , but he was very worried all night about his siblings who also lived in teh area.

[dorispulaski]

And there's terrible flooding in VT, in an unprecedented way.