Tuesday Tidbit- Overwhelmed in the Best Way

We all know last Tuesday Haiti suffered a major earthquake, leveling the city of Port-Au-Prince. Many people lost everything they had. Everything. My mom used to say a phrase,"So poor they didn't have a pot to pee in." I get that now. Seeing all the news coverage and hearing that people are sleeping in the streets, it's hard to imagine what life is and will continue to be like for the Haitian people.

I haven't completely shielded my kids from the news reports. I don't let them see the most retching parts, but they are very aware of what has happened in Haiti. So much so that on Friday, Z1 brought me one of his blankets and said,"Mom, can I send this to a child in Haiti?" I didn't know what to say. How do you get your child's blanket to another child in Haiti? I looked at him and said,"Sure, honey. We certainly can," not having a clue as to how I would get it there. Five minutes later I logged on to my e-mail and received a message from a friend who was collecting supplies for a team of doctors going to Haiti this week. She included a list of needs. There, second from the top, was the word "blankets". I don't believe it was coincidence.

Knowing she was collecting supplies, and knowing the organization behind it, Hand of Hope, and knowing they were already in the country working with the orphans and poor, I thought maybe other friends would want to give. So I sent out my own e-mail.

E-mail is a powerful thing. One by one, friends sent it to their friends, and before I knew it, complete strangers were calling me, asking how they could donate. I finished collecting tonight. My dining room was FULL. Fifteen huge bags of blankets, shoes, camping gear, soap, toothpaste, and so on. I am overwhelmed with the goodness of people. We see someone hurt and our response is to want to give. We do what we can because deep down, we DO know how good we have it here, even when things seem really, really rough to us. And things are rough here, but knowing we have each other, community and people who care make all the difference. We can't always give to everything, but when it's right and it works and we get to be a part of something bigger, it's an incredible thing. Give when you can and where you can and however you feel led to give. It might not be Haiti. It might be Katrina. Goodwill. The soup kitchen down the way. Your neighbor across the street. The school in your neighborhood. You'll know when it's right. And there will be no greater feeling than the one you have when you give.

Yours, overwhelmed by the generosity of my neighbors,

Melissa