Haiti's Earthquake & My Funky State

This post was originally published on MomDot.com, but it didn't really garner a lot of feedback-so I'm posting here because this was an important post for me and I initially wrote it for this blog, but decided at the last minute to submit it as a "guest post" instead....I was twiddling on my iPod listening to a very familiar play-list this evening when a Ricky Martin song came on and I thought about the last time I'd heard it. It had been during a really good and long writing session. One where the ideas flowed like water and my mind framed the words perfectly, when suddenly it struck me; this week instead of listening to my iPod throughout my day as I normally do, I was watching the news, initially for coverage on the Massachusetts election and continued to watch about the ongoing tragedy that is Haiti.Seeing the ruble, I was reminded of a cracked egg. Of Humpty Dumpty, who try as they might the "king's horses and king's men" would never be able to put him back together. I wondered how the people of Haiti would put themselves together again. How could they? I was also reminded of Hurricane Andrew and how hard it was to live and clean up after-wards; knowing that the devastation in Haiti was a million times worse- not helped by the fact that this country was completely unprepared for an earthquake whose denouement would be cataclysmic.I am one of those people-who, when they see someone in pain literally feels pain. I tend to take on the feelings of others and so, in retrospect its no wonder that for the last couple of days I was feeling weepy and woebegone. I know the funk I was in wasn't completely because I was watching the news all day-but it certainly contributed to it.As I type this I'm watching the Hope for Haiti Now telethon. I'm weepy and feel so horrible for these poor children of God. You would think that after realizing that this sort of thing is exactly what had me in my melancholy state that I would abstain from watching it...even if wonderful music is involved. To be honest I debated watching this. But the empathetic, loving, human, that part of my soul that wishes I could do more, than lift up a prayer and a few dollars has to watch it. I watch because in this devastation lays inspiration and proof in the goodness of people and the strength of the human spirit.One woman just said to her husband...who had been buried in a crumbled building for six days "live or die, I love him." I am never ever surprised by the undying love that we can have for one another...and in those simple words,  my problems are made insignificant. I'm not amazed that this woman's husband had not given up hope that she was alive. I am amazed that she survived, I can only imagine what she thought about during that entire ordeal-an ordeal that unfortunately is not yet over.None of us can say why these things happen. Why some people suffer and others do not. Why devastation on such a massive scale must occur and why people must endure it. We can only offer our help. I am glad that so many of us are doing that.You see hope, faith, and love are the most powerful things we as humans can bestow upon ourselves and each other. It is because I can feel hope, faith, and love that watching these people suffer on such a grand magnitude-on any level that I became sad. My sadness and melancholy was trivial in comparison to those in Haiti and others through out the world. I am grateful that my problems are trivial, I am more greatful that I can feel empathy and be affected by the suffering of others, that I am alive to pray and have hope and faith that in time Haiti and it's people will be put back together again.