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Feel the Earth Shake

"Two earth quakes and a kajillion after shocks in 2 days and i didn't feel a damn thing. I guess i should consider myself lucky, but dammit, I could have at least felt a little bitty rumble." blog post started by me on January 8, 2010. I got busy doing something else and logged off.
Then we have the Haiti disaster and I feel awful for even thinking that, much less putting the thought out there. I'm bitching about not feeling a itty bitty earth quake and those people are fighting to survive after not only feeling the big one, but losing everything that they own.
I am going to say that I am ashamed of myself for whining over choosing to leave things behind when we moved....I have the ability to get new things, and I brought what was important with me, family photos, mementos, antiques, my favorite clothing, gifts from my husband that I would never part with, even the clothes that I burned in.....and my husband and children. I am ashamed of whining about missing my family when all I have to do is pick up the phone and call them, write an email or open a photo album. My point is, they are still THERE, and I KNOW this. I don't have to wait for news that they have been found beneath the rubble alive...or not.
My family is not sitting on an unsafe street waiting for someone to come by with food or water, and we know where we will be sleeping tonight. It won't be in a tent, my kids won't be scared to go to sleep, and I will know where they both are.
My 11 year old told me a couple of days after it happened that it was all he was hearing about in school, he was tired of hearing about it. Don't take that wrong, my child is not spoiled or selfish. I know he didn't understand the seriousness of the situation, mostly thanks to the 6.5 quake in northern California only days before that caused so little damage. He couldn't see what the big deal was, and again, I was ashamed. Not of him...but of the fact that I had so ill prepared him to understand and show empathy in a situation like that. I mark it up partly to sheltering him from the bad things in life, which I know now I shouldn't do, but a mother can't help but want to.
I see now that their is a way to guide a child through the tough spots and let them see that bad things do happen, but still protect them from the fall out. Kids are resilient, trust me, and they are smarter than given credit for. My kids have lost pets, been moved near family, away from family, made friends, and had to say good bye to move across the country to a strange place. They made new friends, and got to know the other side of the family. Kids bounce back, you just have to allow them to do it, but you have to do it gently. Watch your own attitude, and while you don't have to keep a smile on about things like say, losing a job, or losing your home, keep a good out look. Use it as an opportunity and show your kids THAT. There is always something else, even if it doesn't seem like it at the time.
By the way, my little boy told me on the way home yesterday that his school is collecting money for Haiti, and he's going to pick up every penny he sees so that he can donate it.


Adversity doesn't BUILD character, it REVEALS it.

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