From Disaster Comes Opportunity

We hate to sound trite or cliched, but there is some consistent truth to the notion that out of difficulty, indeed out of disaster, comes hope- even opportunity.

We are far from learning or even being reflective about the indescribable tragedy that is Haiti. We are still in the throws of urgent reaction-- which is exactly where we should be. But from this horror we will learn many many lessons about ecology, climate change, politics and economics, the fragility of human life and its endurance, grief and perhaps most important, humanity.

There is still so much work to do, care to give, support to rally, funds to raise and aid to distribute to the most brutalized nation. Most of us will be doing what we can directly, but from afar; and this is extraordinary.

But there is something else we can do with this time- perhaps similar to what so many parents found themselves doing after September 11, 2001; talking to out children about what is happening. There is an opportunity here to show our children how precious life is...every life; and to help them see themselves in the big WE of the world, a vital part of it and a contributor to our collective future.

It is a beautiful and moving experience to see so many people and families rallying to do all they can to help untangle the disaster; this is something to share with our children.

For those of us with babies too young to understand what has happened, perhaps we can think about our own part in the global community- and what types of people we want our children to become; what will matter as we fill those beautiful little minds with all that we can. What decisions can we make now.

Each life matters. Haiti will teach us many many invaluable lessons from the breath and scope of its tragic circumstance. We owe it to ourselves, our families, our global community and certainly to those who have lost their lives, to learn these lessons and to teach them well.

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