People who have lost everything—I’m overwhelmed with sadness at everything that’s happening this week. I started walking again to try to regain my balance because, to be honest, after the earthquake I lost my sense of balance, and I’m left with that horrible feeling that everything is always shaking. Even when I’m calm, I feel like everything is moving, in addition to other symptoms like headaches, nausea, and
I was talking to a friend who’s a psychologist to see if she could give me some advice on how to get back on track, both physically and mentally. She gave me a few suggestions; one was to go for a walk, and another was to do breathing exercises to calm my nervous system. I went out for a walk very early in the morning.
During my walk, I ran into a friend who was going through the same thing. We talked for a while and exchanged tips to help us cope with this situation. In my country, earthquakes aren't common—maybe that's why I think most of us who experienced it were left in shock.
Since we’re not used to the ground shaking, maybe that’s why we didn’t pay much attention when we got the alert on our phones. That day, it was 6: 04 p.m. I was talking with my daughter in my living room, drinking coffee. It was only 10 seconds between the alert on my phone and the earthquake. Since I live at home, we ran out to the parking lot—it wasn’t one earthquake; it was two that lasted 39 long seconds, which were enough to change the lives of so many, both those affected and
This affected even those who didn't suffer any physical or material losses—the emotional toll is quite significant for those of us who grieve for others. The truth is that walking has greatly improved my mental health, and little by little I'm regaining my balance. Among other things, thank God I don't have any family members or friends who were significantly affected, but I still feel a lot of frustration when I think that more could have been done.
It sounds cruel, but life goes on. We have to keep moving forward and be grateful for every second of our lives, because everything can change in a fraction of a second. All I can do now is get my life back on track and help those in need as much as I can, within my means—just as Olga Tañon’s song says, “Life Is a Gift.”
Ten minutes from my house, an entire building—which was brand-new—collapsed. There were few residents, yet there were no survivors; others suffered considerable damage. So those of us who are alive today must be grateful for every second of our lives and live for today, because the future is uncertain. Many blessings.
