While one can never exactly know how another person feels. It is possible to get a sense of how they feel by trying to remember how you felt when you were in a similar situation. It really is amazing how many of us can truly relate to the grief and horror the Hurricane Katrina Disaster Victims are experiencing by using a simple method.

I happen to have a beautiful sweet wonderful niece by the name of Anna. (She is actually married to my wife's nephew). Do to be located far from each other I have only seen Anna a handful of times. A few weeks ago Anna gave birth to premature twins, The twins are still in the hospital and doing well. Listening to the TV news there was a report of a lady who's baby was still in the hospital. The lady was evacuated without her baby. She eventually found her baby safe and sound who had been evacuated to another hospital where it could receive the attention it deserved. I still can't stop thinking about how that could have just as easily been my niece Anna and her new born twins.

I was hearing on the news today that families are still separated and searching for each other more then a week after the Hurricane and floods. Flashback to 9/11/2001 I was living in Southern CA at the time. (I was born and raised in New York City). I heard about the world Trade centers about 8 o'clock local time when I was getting ready for work. I was numb I was in a stupor. I imagine I felt much like many people who were born and raised in the Gulf Coast disaster region feel watching the devastation of places they know and love so much.

At about 10 or 11 am local time on 9/11/2001 (about 2pm New York time) I received a call from my wife who was in tears. It seems Anna worked in the World Trade and she hadn't been heard from. As bad as I felt before that call I felt even worse knowing Anna was missing. The World Trade center bombing had now become very personal for me. Yes Anna was found a few hours later and gave birth to those premature twins almost 4 years later.

About 2 Months 9/11 I ran into a high school buddy of mine (I went to High school in New York City). I found out that a friend of mine from High School was killed in the plane that hit the pentagon. My mom had told me someone from the neighborhood was in that plane but she so badly mispronounced his name I didn't make the connection.

While I can never claim to fully understand the pain and grief the Hurricane Katrina Disaster Victims are feeling, By finding some similarities in me own life I can get a small sense of what they feel.