Can I cry my eyes out now..? :(

[MBismyPlayground]

I can't turn away from it. I have tried. And the faces jump into my mind. It was over 90 degrees here today and sunny and I had NO IDEA. Felt like it was overcast. I want to help somehow. I don't have $1000 to donate. I know I would probably get in the way if I volunteered.
So I am thinking maybe I should somehow adopt a family/person/whatever. I figure if each person who wants to do something could adopt a family and help them out......well, may make a difference. Wonder if any of you know how one would go about doing this?

[DCmetroraleigh]

I try to distract myself by doing other things, but my heart is with the people affected by this tragedy. I count myself blessed to only have to deal with the sadness of this tragedy from afar.

[CentralFlGal]

I signed up at work to go help.

I went thru Charley and cannot imagine what it must be like there compare to what it was for us here...no comparaison!

Good for you donating your time and effort. My husband wanted to go help w/Home Depot, but the volunteering list was already full. This makes me feel better considering the tragic stories of the negative human condition coming out of NO overnight.

[chrisnnavarre]

I don't know what to do... I have periods guilt because living in Navarre, Florida if the storm had landed only 150 miles closer we would have been wiped out.

My wife and I want to adopt a family if possible, because we know the terrible situation with the hotels around here. They are full and I'm sure people won't have funds forever to stay in those types of lodging.

I just don't know how safe they would be staying with us or how safe we may be considering we have not even reached the height of hurricane season. I think that Sept. 17 is our one year anniversary of Ivan. It's all a blur to me sometimes and I'm having a hard time sleeping.

I just can't believe I'm having such a hard time coping, I'm retired Navy and a veteran of Gulf War I and the Yugoslavia campaign. But this is America and it's really eating at me...

[artist]

there were quite a # from s2k that were hit -- why couldn't we adopt them?

[soonertwister]

My crying time actually came Sunday, when I looked at the size and strength of Katrina, where the NHC said she was going, and just had this horrible premonition that an absolutely horrific disaster was going to occur.

I cried for about 10-15 minutes, alone in my home. A little later I called and spoke to my mom. She was feeling very much the same way. I called her again later.

And I steeled myself for what was to come. I've had a very pessimistic viewpoint of what the results of Katrina would be since probably about Wednesday or Thursday. So I just told myself that it's going to be bad, and you have to deal with it.

I gave a sizeable donation to the Red Cross National Disaster Assistance Fund. Although I've felt like crying many times since Sunday, I decided that it would not help me so much to allow myself to be overcome by the enormous impact of it all. It's like I want to stay strong for those who have survived.

It's going to be a long road ahead for a lot of people. We are going to get used to the blisters.

[HurriCat]

I've been on that watch/don't watch rollercoaster, too. You just have to pull back here and there and breathe. One thing, though, whether you watch or not, it's going on - and no audience can help by just spectating. GIVE WHAT YOU CAN - and then that will take some of the load off of you and them, too. Cheap piece of mind in my book.

I am sending what I can, and it feels good to be doing more than gasping and even tearing-up at times. This is how you strike back and do something about those gut wrenching feelings. Don't hurt yourself financially, but kick something loose - you'll be glad you did.