Fall down seven times. Get up eight.

The world seems to have changed dramatically in less than two weeks. Events in the Middle East and Japan have weighed heavily on the minds of people everywhere.

I have many connections to Japan. They are too numerous to mention here.

The Japanese have a brilliant saying that goes something like this:

If you fall down seven times, you must get up eight.

There may be no other country as well equipped for dealing with the immense tragedy and challenge that Japan now faces and will face in the next few months and over the next few years.

The workers at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant can only be described as heroes. They may be sacrificing themselves for their country, people and families. I can’t even imagine the depth of their sacrifice and the mental and physical strain they must be under.

Perhaps they are made stronger by the hope and prayers of the rest of the world. My hope is that the channelled prayers and thoughts of so many people world-wide will give those workers the strength they need to do the work they need to do.

The fate of the people in the nearby area is squarely on these workers’ shoulders. The burden must be almost too much to bear. They can’t fail since failure would be devastating to the people they know, love and the community they live in.

Godspeed to them. May they find superhuman strength.

Some sites where you can donate to relief in Japan.