It is funny how one traumatic event can evoke such different reactions in each of us. Anxiety can make some worried, some practical, and others strong. On July 21, 2003, just two days before my birthday, I was excited for the wonderful trip that we had planned. Actually, I was more excited about receiving presents, than I was about going to Hawaii.


We were visiting Oahu, in Hawaii, which seemed like an adventurous place, even though I could hardly remember the last time I had been there. Joining me on the trip were my cousins, Zubin and Neal, my brother, my mom, and my aunt. Little did I know that this trip would end up being a disaster and would help my family learn how we each respond to bad news when it hits us by surprise.


Our vacation had been relaxing, until a news flash appeared on the television. A great tsunami was rapidly approaching the shallow shores of Oahu and was heading straight towards our peaceful location! Panic overcame each of us in our hotel room, and we each reacted to the news in our own unique style.
While all off us were terrified that the oncoming tsunami would hurt us, my mom’s face did not reveal any emotion. She dealt with the situation in a calm and relaxed manner. Soon, she began making calls to the airlines to see if they had any available flights back to California. Children were running here and there trying to avoid the terrifying waves, which had not yet hit our island. Helicopters were flying around and people were fleeing the streets. The roads were going to shut down and we were not allowed access to the beach. Each of us tried to express our panic in the way we knew best. Whether that meant laughing and smiling, or crying and screaming, we did anything to keep ourselves from completely losing our minds.


There were only a few flights out, and seats were filling up quickly. We knew we had to grab whatever remaining seats were available. We were still running up and down. It was hard to just wait for my mom to get a call back from the airlines to see if there was any availability. We were afraid that there could be no flights left to save us.

I was in a confused state because I was too young to know how to react in this type of situation. I was ecstatic with my suggestion, too. I wanted to buy as much dessert, as possible I was thinking of dessert even in a time of disaster! I followed my oldest cousin, Neal, since he seemed to be the wisest and calmest.
He assured us that we would survive and return home safely. He seemed to propose the most reasonable solution to our dilemma. His words were comforting and made us feel better. He said, “If anything happens we could just run to the one-hundredth floor.” We did not realize that the hotel we had stayed in had only sixteen floors, which was not very high compared to the height of some tsunamis.


The Hawaiian airport was so hectic that we were not able to talk to anybody. In fact, we had been put on hold for so long, we were about ready to give up. Until, my brother ran to our mom and asked for her phone. He was barely five, but his mind was clear. He took the phone and called our dad in California and asked him to reserve us a flight back. He made sure to call my uncles, as well, and asked them if they would do whatever they could to help us get home.


Even in these troubling times, my brother’s mind came up with good solutions. He refused to believe that there were no flights out of Hawaii. He was determined to prove the airlines wrong. He reached out to anyone he knew to help us get out of Hawaii before the tsunami overcame us. Luckily, we were able to get a hold of my family in California, who were then able to book a flight for our safe return. My other cousin, Zubin, who had first believed what Neal said, now convinced everyone that my brother was right.

I learned something from that day. No one wanted to die. We all loved life. But each of us had a different way of showing it. Neal, who was into sports, thought of running and escaping by climbing a flight of stairs to the one-hundredth floor. His imagination built one hundred floors. My brother, however, began thinking of how the people, who were not living in Hawaii, could help us escape. Though he was worried, he focused on his plan.

The most important lesson we all learned that week was that even though we were all worried that we could lose our lives that day, none of us gave up hope. Hope is what got us through even our toughest times. We were family who could not live without each other. I will never forget that trip, which I named “Emotional Waves.” Although the tsunami never hit our island, it was a scary experience, especially for a four year old. The entire experience was traumatic. It was an ‘emotional tsunami,’ that made my fourth birthday quite memorable.