Haiti

Haiti. I'm not a news blog, nor am I an accurate source of the situation in Haiti. All I'm here to do is express my own thoughts, concerns, condolences, and prayers. In the past 48 hours I have read and witnessed tremendous distress and desperate conditions that I can only in my wildest imaginations truly understand what the people of Haiti are going through. In times like these I'm reminded of the goodness and pureness in many of those who are desperate to help in any way they can. They step aside from their personal and professional lives and make helping others who are suffering a priority. Then there are those who don't have the luxury of dropping everything and flying to Haiti to help, so they reach into their pockets and donate what they can.

Finally, there are those (yes, they're out there, I've seen it) who are cynics of those who want to help and believe that texting "HAITI" to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross or publicly lifting prayers are mere ways of coaxing one's ego. Cynic, I feel sorry for you. I feel sorry that you cannot see the good in others. I feel sorry that you have the ability to turn something good into something bad. I feel sorry that you are ignorant enough to believe that everyone who prays or donates to efforts does so to coax their ego.

I prayed. I'm still praying. I texted "HAITI" to 90999 to donate $10. I'm still donating in other ways. Does this make me feel like a better person? Can I move on with my day now knowing I've done my good deed? No. No, I did not pat myself on the back. No, I did not do these things to make myself feel better. I do these things because I truly believe all humans have a connection whether it be with my immediate family beside me or with a person on the other side of the world. I do it because I fear one day I'll be that person in the middle of mother nature's worst praying that someone out there wants to help me. I do these things because it needs to be done.



Photo credit: Damon Winter of the New York Times