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.