Losing An Only Child

Lauren, my pal in California, pointed out an article on the Los Angeles Times by Mark Magnier about the earthquake that devastated western China on Monday: a strange and horrible twist I hadn't considered. [Earthquake in China turns middle school into a tomb].

Wang Hong, 41, dips her plastic slippers in the muck for better traction. She's been waiting since Monday afternoon. Her 15-year-old nephew was found dead then. Now, she seeks the fate of her niece. [...]

"This is the most devastating thing imaginable, to lose a child," Wang says.

"And almost everyone is losing an only child. This community will live with this pain for years, decades."

IMAGE: Sydney Morning Herald