A world torn apart.

One of the poorest countries in the world is further devastated by a massive earthquake.

Haitians have a 50% chance of living past the age of 15.  With poverty and disease running rampant it seems the cruelest of places for such a great disaster.

When I first heard of the disaster I immediately went into a place of hopelessness and despair!  How can this country, already in the depths of daily disaster ever recover from this massive earthquake.  And then, reports of aid workers and aid money pouring in from all over the world began appearing.  It hit me that there always seems to be an “And then” moment when disaster hits.

This led me to think about and ponder how many times I sit in despair when I just need to ask for help or aid in my disasters in life.  It also put my “disasters” into perspective.

There is hope even when all seems hopeless.  There is help when there seems to be no answer or solution.  We are stronger than out wildest imaginings.  As a song in the movie “Prince of Egypt” says, “though hope is frail, it’s hard to kill”

here is my prayer and blessing for Haiti:

May hopelessness be swept aside as hope floods in.

May provision abound in your land and your hearts.

May despair be eradicated and Love take its place.

Memories…..

Bitter and sweet.  Full of regret and rejoicing.  I am amazed by how the simplest things bring them screaming to the forefront of the mind.  The crunching of snow under ones feet as winters wind blows against the naked skin of the face.  Unprotected.  Vulnerable.  A street corner, a smell, a voice, a sound.  It all comes rushing back.  Sweet and beautiful.  A few sour but most sweet.  It is good to sift and sort and to feel and ponder and move on.

The Clarity of Choice

There are times when the events of life pull you to a place of such clarity and lucidity where the other madness in life ceases to be.  Such an event happened to me today, just seconds go.  I am sitting in a laundromat and get a call from a friend who has cancer.  That insidious monster that kills and steals and destroys.  She has not been doing well.  She has been for a long time and it seems a downward spiral has began.  “How long do you think you might have?”, I asked her as emotionless as I could.  “A few weeks to a few months.  If I am here in three months I’ll have done really well”, she replied to me.

Off the phone and the tears begin.  Weeks?  3 months is good?  I have chosen to change my day.  When my laundry is finished I will go to her house where we will have ice cream.  I am sure we will celebrate and I will grieve, she may too.  Their is great sorrow for me in this but also appreciation.  I appreciate the times I get to be with my friend knowing that she may not be here much longer.  It also brings me to appreciate others in my life who I probably have many years to share with.  It makes the sweet things sweeter, the beautiful things more beautiful, and the meaning of life closer and more lucid.

I choose to embrace life more fully and be fearless in the face of sorrow and death and loss.  I choose to love fully and deeply!

And then it hit me…..we get to choose!

I am sitting with my mocha thinking about Tiger Woods and the myriad of those caught in behavior that doesn’t fit with their commitments.  I am specifically thinking about what it is like as they are in the middle of it.  The storm of accusations and publicity and press.  THAT MUST SUCK!  And then I think about how even when we are on the hot seat we get to choose how we want to handle and how we want to be.

http://dantocchini.com/?p=60

I am reading this book called “In The Twinkle of an I” by Daniel L. Tocchini and one of the quotes blasted me over!  “The future worth having isn’t out there somewhere.  It’s now.”  I couldn’t wrap my head around it until I realized that whatever I choose and however I choose to be is what creates my future!

What future worth having do you see right now?  What future will Tiger Woods choose?  I am going to wrestle with this one for a bit and get back to you!

Cheers!!!!!