I Luv Saipan: First: the day after tragedy

11/20/09 will go down in Saipan history as the day a gunman, in a random act of violence, shot at residents and tourists, killing 4 and wounding 8. Of those killed were two children. The community is in shock and mourning. We're all praying for the survivors and for the families dealing with their loss. We are all saddened.

This is the first post to the I Luv Saipan blog. I created this blog to share my experiences and my family's experiences here on Saipan. Every day we find another reason to love this place. We don't look for reasons to love Saipan, they just appear and we don't notice it at first, but when we feel warmness in our hearts, we know we just encountered another. It could be the clouds in the royal blue sky, the cool trade winds blowing through our hair, or riding on the back of the pickup finding a shady spot by the beach to eat our lunch. It's all these little things that make this place special.

Right now though the heart is broken because of yesterday's tragedy, but I'm confident our love for Saipan, its beauty and people, will help heal it.

I've taken some pictures from the Palms Resort on Pau Pau up in the northern part of Saipan. My daughter's school had a holiday bazaar and her class put on a play for the folks. It was a happy time despite yesterday's tragedy. Afterwards, we went up to the 15th floor of the hotel to feel the wind and take in the view. The kids also loved the elevator ride. On the way out I was drawn to the chapel. Reflecting back maybe subconsciously it was a reminder to have God in my life and be happy with the blessings we have been given.

Despite the tragedy, I was able to lift my spirits, as I found more reasons why I luv Saipan.