We are devastated by the thought of all the suffering taking place in "Katrina Country".

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the people who have had their lives turned upside down by this horror.

Life has taught me to look for the good which can come out of any situation. I am having a difficult time figuring out what it could be this time. If love is good, then there is plenty of love and caring being exchanged on location, and lots more being sent from the hearts of Americans and the world population. It can't compensate, though, for the trauma being experienced, by people of all ages. There will be a lifetime of sorting it all out for these individuals ... those caught in the disaster, and those loving souls who are there to be of help.

Let's hope that our city, state, and federal officials have heeded this "wake-up" call, and will become precise and pro-active in preparedness. Hopefully there will be no more storms the magnitude of "Katrina". But what guarantee do we have of that? We have to put systems into place which can turn "on a dime" at short notice.

A very high price to pay for a very important lesson learned. Karen