Hello and welcome! An introduction for you: I'm a mom, wife, friend, animal-lover, and lacrosse parent who also happens to write, edit and manage a publishing company for a living. So why not start a blog, I thought? And here ya go...

January 16, 2010

Haitian Heartbreak


My heart breaks for the people of Haiti. As I've gone through the past few days, handling the day to day business and dealing with my typical level of stress, I constantly drift back to what is going on in that devastated country. And I realize my concern over finances or relationships or the economy is nothing compared to what relatives are going through wondering if their brother, mother, son, etc are alive or buried under rubble, hoping to be found in time.

My son's French teacher is from Haiti and as of today, she has heard from all of her brothers who still live in Haiti except one. Her mother dials his phone hundreds of times a day, and the never answered rings are haunting. Is his phone lost or out of commission, are the lines too jammed to get through, or is it worse? She must be out of her mind with worry.

As I left for work yesterday morning, I caught a glimpse of a story on the news about an 11 year old girl who was trapped under a collapsed structure, all of her buried except for her face, miraculously. At least she could breathe and the rescue workers were talking to her and consoling her as they worked to free her as quickly as possible. Her inner strength was almost tangible as she merely looked around, far more calm than I would be in a like situation and particularly considering the pain she must have been in. As I cried, I thanked God for the safety of my own 11 year old and prayed for the strength of her parents to help their daughter and the strength of the workers who were working tirelessly to free her. The announcer revealed that she was indeed eventually freed but her injuries were extensive; they feared she would lose one of her legs but she was alive. A better fate than many faced.

It certainly gives you a new perspective on what you think your troubles are here. And it's good to see the world coming to the aid of these people who need everything: food, medical care, a place to sleep, water, every basic necessity. If you can, please help. $5, $10...it doesn't have to be much, but give something. One way to do so is via Food for the Poor, the largest international relief agency in the U.S. Or donate $10 to the Red Cross by texting "Haiti" to 9-0-9-9-9. And then count your blessings here and send up a prayer for the Haitian people and those who are working to help them.

January 2, 2010

The New Year Syllable Spectrum

A new year, I can hardly believe it. The holidays were good ones; they usually are. Mine were heaped in lots of change, some of which affects me personally, daily. Some of which is remote but significant just the same. In my immediate family and circle of friends, however, all is good and for that I am grateful.

I was a little bitter not to be skiing over New Years, as has been an annual tradition for my husband and I for...well, ever. But the horrendous economy put a screeching halt to that. Oh well, we have our health and there were gifts under the tree and food on the table--we're fortunate, to be sure.

For my resolution this year, I'm keeping it low key. In fact, I don't usually even make a New Year resolution because I think if you only resolve to do something differently because you're now writing two different digits at the end of your dates, are you really committed to sticking to it? If you want to quit smoking, why does it have to be Jan 1st to do so? If you really want to quit, then quit. Even if it's October 10th or August 5th--as non-resolutiony as those dates seem. Anyway, I'm breaking tradition and do have a resolution this year, one that's really only appropriate because of the year it is: and that's to get comfortable uttering a single syllable as the abbreviated year in any date I say aloud. When does my credit card expire? "February Third, Ten." When's the wedding? "June First, Ten."

Ten. When all but two years out of a hundred are double, triple and even quadruple syllables even when abbreviated (even the first years of the decade--05, 08, etc--were offered as "Oh five and Oh eight"), now quipping "Ten!" is awkward. (Racking your brain for the other single syllable abbreviated year? Don't strain yourself. It's Twelve.) Sure, I could resort to coughing out the full "Two Thousand Ten," but geez, you could take a nap before you get that whole thing uttered. So rather than try to lose weight, exercise, halt the cussing (a commitment I've failed at often), or cut the chocolate consumption, I'll diligently work to find a cool way to say the new year without resorting to the opposite end of the syllable spectrum. After all, I need chocolate to cope with all the change.

Happy Ten, everybody!