HAITI

"I", the dog has been out and about in the yard this morning. Somewhere close by at five o:clock lurked a cat. I know this to be true because 'I' knew it. The cranky lady who lives a couple of houses away probably knew it too because "I" told us. her loud yapping, that word describes it better than barking, cut through the darkness. Cheese was my form of enticement but she didn't give up easy.

My son has been very upset the last couple of days because of the disaster in Haiti. He went there a year ago on a mission trip and has friends there. It seems when a disaster in such magnitude
happens it is hard to grasp the full severety of it. We know it is horrible,thousands losing their lifes. But when it is far away and so many it is as if it is unreal. There is 50,000 people in our town. We are talking as many died as there are people living in this town. Can you even grasp something like that happening and everyone in our town dead. You cannot get your mind around it. We should, we should be concerned that so many life's have been lost. It is such a poor country anyway and this is devastating to them.

It is easy to get wrapped up in our own little world. Human nature I know. We have no money, not enough for things we want anyway, someone hurt our feelings, our leg hurts. Just everyday happenings that seem so important. Then in a small country where sometimes just having enough food for your family is a big task this happens, pictures flash across the television screen. Bodies in the street, a man carrying a fifteen day old baby who's mother is dead and the baby has a bad head wound. Not even enough bandages and medicine have arrived yet. People in terror and pain.

I am aggravated because I had to chase "I" down. I have a fenced yard to chase her down in. Across town a man is mad because his car won't start to get to work, he will be late. Someone wakes up with a headache. Little problems that will solve themselves as the day wears on. We can't many of us rush to Haiti to help. Most of us has very little if any money to send. But we can all care, be aware of others suffering. In some small way be our brothers keeper. I am including a poem I wrote many years ago. I hope you will not mind.

I am,
The sun, the moon, the stars , the sky,
The small black child with the hungry eyes,
I am.
The pregnant girl who is so afraid,
The old man who died alone today.
I am.
The sea of faces everywhere,
Happiness, sorrow, joy, despair.
I am.