For the Love of One Another...

I write this with tear trails marking my cheeks...

I plead ignorance to the Katrina disaster. In all my shame I admit I haven't kept up with this situation. I fell into my guilt this weekend as I denied working a calling center for Katrina relief efforts with a dear friend on Sat. and Monday. Whatever the case I have not done my part, nor watched the coverage to bare the loss...

So tonight I watched the Oprah piece from today: The Katrina Catastrophe Part II...

I refuse to write the blogs about the government, about FEMA, about Bush, about blaming, or about the media. I refuse to say I understand. I even refuse to say I know the situation, because I don't, but what I do know is how blessed I am.

As I watched tearfully tonight, lying in a bed, and with my hair straigthened from my straigthening iron, with my clean pajamas on, under my covers to protect my body from the chill of the air conditioning, I cried with my remote in hand as I fast forwarded through commercials to see the next bit of lose so many people were experiencing.

Oh how each and every one of them would like to be able to put on their clean clothes and fast forward through this life to a time of a rebuilt life. Oh how they would like to have the task of protecting themselves from the air conditioning. Being on Oprah's show or not, how they'd like to be able to run THEIR brush through their hair, whether straigthened or curly.

I've been working with homeless for nearly three weeks now, so it wasn't the thought of being without a physical home that brought me to tears. It was the thought of losing their loved ones. Losing family and friend pictures. Losing the things that can't be replaced. I cried to see how complete strangers were taking one another under their wings. I cried to see the ones for which we as a society view as "famous" giving hugs to the less fortunate.

I don't know much, but I know something like this can only bring people closer than in the past.

I know I laid there after it was over, and I was in the complete dark and thought about how much I can't wait to see some of my best friends again and give them a hug. I can't wait for homecoming to be here and I get to see my friend Becca and give her a hug. I can't wait to see my friend Cheryl and give her a hug. I can't wait to joke around with my friends Janaye and Lindsey again. I can't wait to be arm in arm with my club sisters and sing songs that I probably won't even remember the words too. I just can't wait....

It's these thoughts that remind me just how blessed I really am....