Thursday, September 01, 2005

How Little I Have to Whine About

It’s another sunny day in California. Life is going on pretty much as it has all summer. I complain about the kids, the husband, the house and then I read Larissa's blog and nearly fell apart. How trite and inane my problems seem today. How totally fortunate I am to be where I am with my biggest problem being my lack of a/c today.

I’ve been in the situation where I had to evacuate and leave my home behind, wondering if I would come back to find it standing or a pile of ashes. I’ve had to decide which items could be left behind and which couldn’t. I remember sitting in my SIL’s living room realizing what treasured items I’d left behind. My eyes were glued to the television as I saw neighborhood after neighborhood go up in flames in my town and hoping mine wasn’t one of them. Fortunately, because of the courage of one of my neighbors, our neighborhood lost a tree and that was about it.

But this scenario is so much worse. I can’t even fathom the level of despair these people hit by Katrina must feel. I am at a loss as how to comprehend it. But human beings are amazingly adaptable and generous. People across the country are banding together to bring aid to the survivors. I think everyone in this country feels the loss to a certain degree. Perhaps through this tragedy the country can find a common ground and focus on the innocent lives so affected by the hurricane rather than the animosity that has plagued the nation as of late.

Anyway, to help Larissa, please head over to WriteMinded for information. Also, the American Red Cross has a simple donation form. The opportunities to help are limitless. Even the smallest donation can help.