I’m rolling about in the land of deep relief and thankfulness right now.

I don’t write often about my children on this blog because I like to keep things a bit private but my daughter, my child who makes me laugh so much, who is my piece of sassiness when the world looks grey and who has been so often a light in my life - is okay.

She and her partner are travelling right now and they were on route to Santiago for her partners family reunion and a family wedding.  Mercifully they just missed the earthquake by a couple of days. But her partners parents and family were in Santiago and went through it all. Everyone is okay. We are just so grateful.

I got a late night call from her just to say they were okay on the weekend - I have never felt such relief. I was not sure of their exact whereabouts and I was worried.  Particularly as a few days before she called us and said they had just felt a tremor.

They are still planning to go to Santiago. Today.  It does make me anxious but I can understand that right now nothing in the world matters more than family. In her partners shoes I would do the same. I hope for the family that they will still go ahead with the wedding & that it will be a joyous celebration of togetherness.

Not sure how they are going to get into the city - the airport was only partly opened last I looked but they were looking at bussing people in from area’s outside Santiago.

I’m reminded how much we forget that actually we are not in control. In the blink of an earthquake or a storm (as in France at the moment) everything can change forever.

My thoughts are with everyone today who has had to live through  a natural disaster.