It is amazing that I have never felt an earthquake before in Japan. I visited Japan about 18 times and have stayed here part-time for two years now. Japan happens to be one of the of the most active earthquake areas in the world! I have either slept through the other ones or was on the train and did not feel them.

Yesterday, I experienced my first earthquake In Japan! It was very slow, but strong and the shaking went on for over 20 seconds. The quake was measured at 6.8 (magnitude) in Japan and 6.7 (magnitude) by the U.S. government. The epicenter for the earthquake was about 160 miles away in Niigata, a place I visited in April. There were seven people killed and over 800 people injured. Many people lost their homes! It is really amazing how much our lives can change in one precious moment of time!

I use experiences like these to remind me just how precious this gift of life really is. Also, how important it is to get the most out of each precious moment of my life. Many people try to live I the illusion of a future, while others live in the past. However, I believe that like takes place one moment at a time. Since we only have these single moments, I think of these moments as something very precious. I think of each additional moment I have to be alive as a gift!

 Did I get scared, not really? The earthquake did get my attention and reminded just how precious life really is! When it’s my time to go, it’s my time to go no matter where I am and what I am doing. Until then, I will continue to live my life one precious moment at time!