Seaman's prayer

In the passing of this Hurricane Joaquin, we were re-routed. We got news that one ship, El Faro was lost at sea.

El Faro was on a very similar route to us, sailing from Florida to Puerto Rico just how we were. Except we were all safe and they were not.

I mentioned it to my team and we thought about them and their families. We thought about the sacrifices that they made to give their families a better life and we thought about how precious life is.  We are sailors too, this could have been us.

We decided to do a minute of silence and to pray for them. A few of us got together and did a prayer and kept these lost sailors in our thoughts. I am a catholic by tradition but Buddhist by choice but I recognize all prayer and spirituality. Our monent of silence and prayer was beautiful, humbling and somber. This was our prayer.

Shortly after our prayer I went to my cabin to change. I heard an announcement. We had found wreckage,it was El Faro.

Rest in peace my fellow sailors, rest in peace El Faro.