Day Six:

No news is supposed to be good news. There has been no news since an email from Jodel on Sunday.


My classroom is now decorated with a map of Haiti, a poster that students created with facts about the earthquake, and we are reading the book, A Taste Of Salt, out loud as a class. I teach math. Sometimes finding the connection between Haiti and seventh grade math state standards and IEP goals is a bit of a challenge. Our class donation jar is slowly filling with silver coins and today a student asked, " There are tons of people in our own country who need help, why are we not helping them?" And, with his words, the elephant in the room became visible. Most students are fascinated to learn about the country of Haiti and feel very empowered to raise money for the people and for the country. For the most part, students perceive Haitians to be a lot like them-- people with families, homes, and pets. There is no air of superiority, no comments about how the Haitians can not help themselves, no degradation. However, there are the few who take the coins out of the jar, those who draw on the map in the classroom. Those who wonder why people don't see our own aches, our own devastation. And to them, here is my reply:

The world is a large place in many ways and there are differences to be celebrated and explored. Despite its size and diversity, earthlings share fundamental similarities that can be sometimes hard to see. We are born of families and we thrive off of connections with the earth and other living things. We judge too much and we share too little. We all love food, laughter and the smell of fresh air. In the United States, we have systems designed and in place for people who have little. We have access to water, public restrooms, education, technology, and public transportation. Some people in this country do not receive adequate support and it is problematic. We should fund raise more for those in need. We should not wait for devastation to act in support and solidarity with our own country people. However, just because a spotlight is shed on another country in need at this moment, does not mean that we have forgotten those in need at home. In fact, ample room remains to love and learn about people from all walks of life, and stepping out of our own spotlight for now will allow us to better know our neighbors and, eventually, ourselves. For now, this moment, let us reach out to those we can touch and support them by saying Thank you, I am glad you are here, let's smile at strangers, let's share our lunches with those who are hungry. But let us also make space to feel the weight of a country that falls to pieces (literally and figuratively) more often than anyone would like, and support that country as its people again rise from the ashes in order to survive. Doing so will make us better partners to those close to home.