Count your blessings

Yesterday I did a walkabout with the two women who are going to be taking care of CWIM, the chickens and the yard plants.

All the scenarios of what is really important in my life have been flashing through my brain and eyes for weeks now as I think about not being here for such a long time. The reports of predicted hurricanes sound loud in my ears; more expected this year than ever. I've taken the most important bits and pieces to a safer place, and the rest ends up being just 'stuff' that can be replaced. Except...CWIM. Ultimately. I'd miss the chickens but truthfully, I'm not all bound up in them, though one caretaker has wonderfully offered to take them and CWIM to her home should the need arise. She's got a bigger heart than I do and I'm grateful.

In the late, late afternoon, Greg helped me (ok, Greg did all of it) get my dinghy out of the water to put it in a safer place on land. Since it weighs about 10,000 lbs, it's a job I can't do myself...and once again, I'm grateful for the help of friends. But even that, as much as I love enjoy that beat up little boat, is something that can be replaced. Sort of.

As I read the news today (oh boy) I'm again reminded of the things in our lives that can and cannot be taken away.

This is a report from the Haiti correspondent from stormcarib.com (one of my primary weather websites for all things islandy and weather-wise):

And more rain

By Martin Bush at gmail.com> Date: Fri, 4 Jun 2010 19:50:04 -0500

St Marc flooded out yesterday.  No real damage as far as I could see -- just rocks and mud slides into the main road through the to north on the way to Gonaive.   Just a local storm.  In Montrouis 25 km to the south we had sunshine with just the rumble of thunder to the north to signal action out of sight.  This evening in Petionville heavy rains pounded the house for 30 minutes.  Not long but that's enough to pour a ton of water through the tents on Place St Pierre and Place Boyer.  As far as I can see no-one has moved out. Once you get set up -- even in a flimsy tent that may fly away in a storm at any minute, few of the familiies want to move to an area where there is weaker family support and an uncertain future.  It means everything to have the extended family close at hand.  Once you lose that you lose everything.  The government wants tent people to move to areas that supposedly are safer and provide more support.  But Haitians know what to expect when the Government makes promises. More heavy rain is on the way.

It's going to be a bad season in Haiti for so many who have so little. I think the writer gives more insight than just about anything else I've read in such a concise piece. When you literally have only shreds, you are going to cling to what you do have, family and friends. Before, I kept thinking, why not move away?? Move someplace safer, even if you have to live in a lean-to? I get it now.

Then I got to the wretched photos (photo credit: AP Photographer Charlie Riedel) of oil covered birds in Louisiana, the living and dying symbol of what we are doing to our planet in the name of having 'stuff' - the origin of which  we (and I mean we, which means me) carefully ignore. Living on Culebra makes that a little harder to ignore than many first world places. We know that water doesn't always come out of the tap, that electricity, while often taken for granted, isn't a sure thing. Even that gasoline to power our vehicles and boat engines can be a long awaited commodity. But I don't see people buying smaller cars...or many using solar and/or wind power. Except some of the liveaboards, who know about collecting water and sun and wind to power their lives. Hmmm.

Just so you know, the photographer and assistants did get help for the birds that could be saved, from the International Bird Rescue Research Center. If you want to help, here is a good source. Take a summer trip to the coast...

I know - this isn't a fun post. And yet, I feel so overwhelmingly, deeply steeped in grace  because I have so much, even if in the world's eyes, I have so little. So take a little time to think about your 'stuff'. Take a walkabout in your own lives and think about how much you have to be thankful for. Maybe 'de-stuffing' our lives isn't such a bad thing, when we get right down to it. How much do you need, how much do you just want, and why? And what can you give to others who have less?

How it should be...

(Uh, just don't make me give up my computer! And my camera, and...er...a couple of other things! Hypocrite, your name is MJ!)