As I was contemplating topics for this week’s blog, I really wanted it to be about the horrific earthquake in Japan. After all how could I turn a blind eye to the tragedy unfolding before us? I immediately thought about how disasters make us aware of how we are just one big family. And, how contributing $$ in any small amount can make a huge difference. But, it all seemed a bit trite.
And, then I noticed, I hadn’t been getting the usual e-mails about how and where to contribute. Maybe I’m remembering wrong, but it seems the earthquake in Haiti garnered immediate requests for financial contributions to help the people regain some small semblance of their lives. We were ready and willing and knew that even $5 could make a difference.
It made me wonder if we as Americans were harboring any resentments and consequently didn’t have the usual knee-jerk reaction to open our pocketbooks. And, was this resentment from World War II or for the booming Japanese economy that has drained away some of our financial growth and profits? Resentments so deep-seated that it takes something like this to bring them into the light to be healed. Maybe I’m just being cynical (not my usual suit) but it’s something to think about. Those resentments keep us locked up in negative thinking and from being who we really are.
So, I was ecstatic this morning when I got an e-mail (actually a comment on an old blog) asking me to donate $10 to the Red Cross by text message. Gotta love this new twist on texting—painless, impulse charitable giving. It doesn’t get much better than that.
So, give where you can and if you want to do it painless and quick, text. To find out more go to https://american.redcross.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=ntld_nolnav_text2help
I just did it, worked like a snap.
2 thoughts on “Harboring Resentments”
Interesting. I was very enthusiastic about helping Haiti when it happened, while with Japan I’ve kept an eye out there for how to help, but its different. From what I understand, regardless of natural disasters, Haiti doesn’t have excess resources and are needing the world’s contributions to feed their people. I think of Japan having plenty of resources, and strength in leadership, so am waiting for them reach out for help.
I had some of the same thoughts, but realized I was less motivated because they are the third richest economy in the World, whereas Haiti is right at the bottom. God, it seems, hates Haiti. No, actually, white people do. My instincts, as with the floods in Pakistan, is to give to Medicins Sans Frontiere (MSF) because they go everywhere, rich or poor, and I love them for doing it. Good questions, though.