“No man is an iland, intire of it selfe…”
-——John Donne, Meditation 17, 1624

“I am a part of all that I have met…”
-——Alfred Lord Tennyson, Ulysses, 1833

Twice in recent weeks, major hurricanes have visited themselves upon the U.S. mainland, wreaking vast destruction with their waters and winds, claiming innocent lives in their fury, leaving enormous damage in their wakes for survivors to overcome.

Many of you, our readers, are members of the global community of Aramco annuitants privileged to have once lived and worked in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Most likely you have moved on since retiring, establishing new homes for yourselves and your loved ones in countries around the world. Be aware that hundreds of your fellow Aramco family members now living in Texas and Florida and other states impacted by hurricanes Harvey and Irma have had their lives upended by these storms.

We encourage readers to show their support in whatever way they can for those struggling to recover from these twin disasters. Amongst their numbers certainly are one-time Aramcons; many others who were affected may not have direct ties to Aramco or the Kingdom but are still members of the same universal family of humankind as we. Our faiths inspire in us a shared sense of humanity and compel us to help others in need. As Donne and Tennyson proclaimed centuries ago, we are not islands, they are not islands,; we are a part of them, they are a part of us.

In times like these, we have a chance to reach out and show our concern for others. In the cases of Harvey and Irma, tragedy has struck close to home, disrupting the lives of Aramcons past and present. Whatever form your contributions may take, be it money or goods, time or prayers, in every case they are welcome.

Disaster can strike any place in the world at any time—in Pakistan or China, in India or the U.K., in Indonesia or Australia—anywhere. We must always be on alert to hear the voices of others crying out in need. Tragedy is a human experience that touches us all at one time or another in one way or another. By coming together as one in times of need, we help mitigate the effects of disasters and reaffirm our basic humanity and God’s love for us all.