Daughter Asks: 'Is This a Earthquake? Like the One in Japan?'

FIRST PERSON | ANNANDALE, Va. -- This is not my first experience in an earthquake, but it was the first with my children. After running errands in the Annandale area, the kids and I went home to have a late lunch before hitting the pool. While cooking, I could hear heavy footsteps from upstairs, and suddenly it sounded as if there was a marathon taking place on the floor above.

It hit me: There is no one upstairs. My family lives on the third floor with no one above us. It was an earthquake -- a big one.

I called my children to the kitchen, where we stood under the door frame. The quake was so strong; I could see the walls shaking. Not only were the walls shaking, but every appliance, bowl and plate was moving across the countertops. I could see the items on the small freezer shaking, until falling on the floor in a loud crash.

We stood together under the door frame, while I held my children tightly.

"I don't like earthquakes. I don't like earthquakes," my son cried and held my leg. My daughter grabbed me tight and asked, "Is this a earthquake? Like the one in Japan?"

In that shaky moment, it dawned on me that my children knew what this was, and they knew about the devastation related to an earthquake.

It sunk in, that it was time for reassurance so they would not fear the shaking apartment, and that they understood we would be fine. Shortly after, the quake stopped. We stood there waiting for the tremors, which did not follow. My children were still shaken, but no longer scared to leave me.

We stepped out from the door frame to find everything in the house intact, and that we had survived a 5.9 earthquake. Our neighbors were just as shaken, and stood in the parking lot. After several minutes, everyone went back into their apartments, and life went on as usual.