Help Haiti: Live

Find a need and fill it. ~Ruth Stafford Peale

I wanted to start this post with the definition of life but, after spending an unreasonable amount of time researching the term, nothing satisfied me enough to post it here.

In lieu of my "Top Ten Tuesday" I feel compelled to acknowledge a subject I've long been avoiding; the Haiti earthquake.

Since it happened, I have to say, I have been "off". So much so that I've had a hard time blogging, as evidenced by my brief absence. I still haven't "snapped out of it" and I don't think when something like this happens a person really can. However, slowly, I've been able to move forward leaving behind some of the crippling terror and horror for all those people. The women, children, men, elderly, survivors, the lost, the rich, poor, black, white, and the animals; it all makes me so sick.

When things like this happen, I try hard to make peace with it. As silly as it sounds, "to make peace" with such a horrific loss, I pray to better understand. I study the details; I try to do something that can make a difference. Yet, when things like this happen, I can't help but think of how lucky I am. This disaster never really touches me. I don't mean that in the metaphorical sense, I mean it literally. I am unscathed (physically).

I live in a warm house. I live in a country where food is supplied to those who don't have any. I live in a place where you can walk into any emergency room and be seen (whether you have insurance or not.) I have a great education and, as a matter of fact, I'm more educated than many women are allowed to be in other countries. I live in a part of our great country where, let's face it, a small hurricane or blizzard is the worst of my worries. But, most importantly, lets acknowledge the color of my skin affords me an unearned privilege. I hate that it's true, but it is. And with yesterday being Civil Rights Day/Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I can't help but think of how far we've come. Yet, we still have miles to go.

As I read about this tragedy, I couldn't help but see some of the comments people left after news articles. I couldn't tear myself away. Suggestions that this is "God's work to rid the world of" (fill in the blank.) I don't know the God these people speak of, but it's certainly not my "God." The amount of hate that is still so prevalent in the world makes me sad. And scared. Yet, because of my privilege, it doesn't reach me the way it touches others. It profoundly affects me, but it isn't for me. Do people even think about that? As hard as we try to understand prejudice (and most of us do, on some level, experience discrimination) much of it doesn't touch us.

But, above hate, I also see love. I see an outpouring of aid, help, money, and prayer. I see pictures of people in Haiti kneeling beside their loved one, praying to a God and giving thanks for mercy. It strikes me, every time I see it. Here I am, sitting at a desk in my warm house and behind an electronic device that's worth enough money to probably feed a village somewhere. I see the pictures, I shed tears, I have a pit in my stomach, but I still could never understand. As much as I mourn for these people, I shed these tears safely. How is that fair? Yet, these amazing, resilient people are grateful to be alive. People who didn't have fresh water to begin with in a place where there may be as many as 200,000 people lost, a place where people are starving, living in poverty but still have an inexplicable will to live.

I envy that. It's not that I don't appreciate my life and how privileged I am, I do. I am so very thankful for everything I have in my life, material and otherwise, but lets be honest, we're all glad this didn't happen to us. I also want to make it clear that I'm not suggesting one should feel guilty for their privileges (the color of their skin, their education, socio-economic status, their civil liberties, etc.) I'm just suggesting one not be ignorant to them. Further, it helps me better understand that when everything material is removed, including basic needs, you are still left with the greatest gift, life.

Life is what you make it.

At first I didn't know what to do for the people of Haiti. Should I go there? Yes, I could, but how likely am I to be helpful, or even know where to begin? It's unrealistic. Should I send food? The food from organized governments isn't even getting there properly. Should I send money? Yes, and I did. Then, I still kept thinking over and over about life.

I can give life.

I am a regular when it comes to donating blood. I am very healthy (again, and unearned blessing). But I do that anyway- about every 56 days to be exact. What I can do is ask you to give your blood. If you feel every bit as helpless as I do when disaster strikes and lives are lost, you can give part of yours to someone else.

From http://www.redcross.org/: Monday, January 18th - The American Red Cross is responding to the catastrophic 7.3 earthquake in Haiti with financial assistance. Send a $10 donation by texting ‘Haiti’ to 90999 or make a financial contribution online.

To date, the Red Cross is meeting any requests for blood due to this tragedy through current supplies. At this time, we do not anticipate the need for a special donor appeal to support our efforts. As always, blood donors are encouraged to call 1-800-RED CROSS or to make an appointment online. Type O Negative and Type B negative donors are always especially needed.

I can only assume that if I feel this way, others do too. You probably do. I am helpless. I can (and did) send money, that makes me feel better, but we can give life by giving blood. The ten dollars you texted, while it's helpful, prevented you from getting a couple of coffees over the next week. Give something more personal... give a piece of yourself. That will make you reach the disaster, foreign or domestic, when it doesn't reach you.

I don't know if I'm even making sense here, as I never seem to when I feel so defeated, but I keep turning the quote below over and over in my head. I can't really help those people with my bare hands. I probably will never make peace with it. And this tragedy, like many others, will probably never touch me, for which I am grateful. Yet, I will be damned, if I don't try to reach out and touch it.

I gave a pint of blood yesterday. I don't know if my blood will go to Haiti, or California, or Ohio. I do know that blood will go into another human being, and nourish their body and soul.

You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you. ~John Wooden