My brother just called. It took him all day to get a call out. He is in Thailand. Yes, where the tsunami struck. He, and his friends, are all ok. They were a bit inland, at home, when the tidal waves came rolling in and caused such horrific devastation in “Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the Maldives.”

My brother is there visiting his old friend from college days. His friend’s wife just had a baby and my brother is the child’s godfather. Of all the places in the world he could visit on this day, it was Thailand. My greatest reason for fear was that my brother’s friend is a diver. He makes his living taking the numerous vacationers (mostly from Europe) out on dive trips and teaching diving lessons. I could just see both of them down at the ocean.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all those suffering so badly there. I am thankful that my brother is alive and well. No word on when he’ll be able to leave Thailand.

This is easily the most bizzare Christmas I have ever experienced. That’s kind of foolish for me to write … considering how my brother, his friends and tens of thousands of southeast asians must feel right now.