For more information about CRS's continuing relief efforts, please follow these links:
http://crs.org/haiti/projects.cfm
http://crs.org/emergency/haiti/index.cfm
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Help is still needed
I am reprinting this article from the Catholic Relief Services webmail that I receive. It is necessary to note that Magalie Rigaud continues to work on relief efforts in Haiti.
Buried Alive By Haiti Quake
By Lane Hartill
With her iPhone clamped to one ear, Magalie Rigaud clicked down the aisle of Caribbean Market in her silver heels, trying to find a bag of Alley Cat, the only brand her cat would eat.
Magalie Rigaud, a CRS employee, was trapped with her twin boys in a collapsed supermarket in Port-au-Prince for 8 hours after Haiti's January 12 earthquake. Photo by Lane Hartill/CRS
"There's no Alley Cat," she told Naïka, her teenage daughter, who was on the other end of the phone. "I don't care whether she eats it or not. I'm just going to take one of the brands on the shelves."
Her twin 12-year-old boys, Marc-Edwin and Carl-Edwin, were right next to her, looking at the wall of cat food. The Caribbean Market was the biggest and best, where you could buy everything from bunk beds to Hershey's chocolate syrup. Haitians and expatriates in Port-au-Prince shopped there because they liked the selection and the American brands.
"If she doesn't eat it," Naïka told Magalie, "then she'll just have to starve."
Magalie was scanning the brands. Then she felt a jolt.
"Mommy, what's that?" Marc-Edwin asked her.
"That," Magalie said, "is an earthquake."
The floor started to buck and jump. She took her sons' hands and tried to head for the door, but it was like running on a trampoline. She could see the walls collapsing like dominoes, coming right at her.
That's when her maternal instincts kicked in: She grabbed the boys and pulled them into her.
"I knew that I was stronger and could take the hit better than them," she says.
They got as far as the dog food, when they all went down together. A stack of dog food bags stopped the ceiling and walls from crushing them. Once the shaking had stopped, Magalie and the boys found themselves in a dark cave, lying on their sides. Everything was quiet.
"Mommy, what happened?" Marc-Edwin asked her. "Are we going to die?"
"No," she told him, as the heat started to rise and the dust started to settle. "If we were going to die, we would have already been dead. If God made this cave for us, it's because he knows that someone is going to pick us up."
As they settled in, Magalie fanned the boys, and wondered how long they would be there.
Somewhere in the rubble, Magalie heard voices: A woman screaming for help, two men talking.
"Fabrice, man, this is it, we're dead," said a man named Sonjé. "This is where we're going to die; there's no way out."
"Stop!" Magalie yelled into the dark. "If you were to die, you would have already been dead. I'm not going to die here because I have to get out. I have a daughter waiting for me at home and I need to know how she is doing."
"Madame, you don't know what you are talking about," Sonjé shot back. "There is no way out of here."
"There's a way out," she said. "I'm going to wait till God shows me the way out."
Magalie tried to call Naïka at home, to tell her she was buried alive at the market, to send for help. But she couldn't get through; she figured they were too deep in the rubble. Was Naïka safe? Had her house collapsed?
Stay calm, Magalie thought. Stay strong. She used the flashlight on Marc-Edwin's cell phone to illuminate the cave. It was the size of a doghouse. On the floor, dog food was mixed with liquid soap and sponges and broken glass. Magalie could feel some broken shelves against her back. To her side were Sonjé's feet. Marc-Edwin was sandwiched between Carl-Edwin and her. Fabrice was lying at their feet.
* * *
It didn't take long before the twins started crying.
"Keep calm," she told them. "Hold your breath. We need to save our oxygen. Don't talk. Let me do the talking."
"What we are going to do?" she asked. "We are going to pray."
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.He makes me lie down in green pastures.He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.He leads me in paths of righteousnessfor his name's sake.
God, she thought, is going to get us out of this. He won't abandon us. She and the boys pressed on with the prayer, the second verse eerily appropriate.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil,for you are with me;your rod and your staff,they comfort me.
About this time, Sonjé started up again with his talk of death.
"Can you shut up?" Magalie asked him. "Your negative vibe, keep it for yourself. Anytime you want to talk like this, tell it to yourself, because you're going to die by yourself. I'm not staying here with you. I'm going out. And I'm going out with my sons."
Sonjé shut up.
* * *
"We're in luck," Sonjé burst out suddenly. "I just found some flashlights."
"See this is it, it's a sign from God," said Magalie. "God's giving us time to wait; we are no longer in the dark."
Sonjé turned over the flashlights to Magalie. She turned one on and stuck it between the dog food bags, lighting up the cave. The rest, she would save for later.
"Mommy you're bleeding," said Carl-Edwin, noticing the nasty gash on Magalie's scalp.
"Don't worry about that," she said. "I'll worry about that when we get out. Now we have to conserve our oxygen until people come to rescue us."
* * *
When Sonjé spoke again, he had good news. He had unearthed a cache of Mott's apple juice. And a few cans of carrot, banana and grape juice.
"What did I tell you?" Magalie said.
"I'm starting to believe you," said Sonjé. "I think we are going to get out."
"Don't think that we are going out," Magalie said. "We are going out."
Magalie watched the hours slip by on her cell phone. Marc-Edwin broke the silence.
"Mommy, before I die I want to tell you that I love you."
"We're not going to die!" she said. "Have I ever lied to you?"
"No."
"If we get out…" Marc-Edwin said.
Magalie cut him off. "What?"
"When we get out," he said, "I have to go to school because tomorrow I have a math test."
"Mommy, now I understand what that mothering instinct is," said Carl-Edwin. "I will never forget what you did for us today. You just covered us with yourself. I hope that my wife will be like you."
* * *
The hours dragged by. Over the city of Port-au-Prince hung a cloud of concrete dust. As night started to fall, people wailed and chanted, prayers mixed with fears. Haitians worked through the night pulling friends and family—some alive, some dead—from the rubble. Magalie, insulated in the cave, had no idea if anyone was looking for them.
Sometime after 10 p.m., Magalie heard a noise from the woman trapped above her.
"Ask the lady above what's happening," she instructed Sonjé.
"She says they are working out there," he said. "She can hear people talking."
"Tell her to tell them that once they reach her, that there are five people under her."
Sonjé passed on the message.
A few minutes later, Magalie was getting antsy.
"Sonjé! Tell her again."
"I already did."
"You need to repeat it again so she doesn't forget."
Sonjé did as he was told.
Magalie returned to work at CRS the day after the earthquake and helped buy food and other essentials for the staff. Photo by Lane Hartill/CRS
At some point, Magalie couldn't hear the woman above her. She knew she had been rescued, but wasn't sure that the woman had given the rescuers the message. So she started screaming.
Sonjé started to scream. And somebody answered him.
"Tell them that we are here!" said Magalie.
"I am here!" Sonjé yelled.
"No. Not you. Us!" Magalie said.
For the next hour and a half, they heard the scratching. They knew the rescuers were digging and pounding with a small sledgehammer. They were putting the gravel in a red thermos, hauling it up and throwing it away.
An hour and a half after the woman had gotten out, a hand shot through the wall.
"Do you see my hand?" said a voice.
"Yes," Sonjé said. "I see your hand."
"Okay, wait there," said the voice. "We are working for you."
Sonjé and Fabrice were the first out. Then Magalie decided Carl-Edwin should go.
Then Marc-Edwin went.
Magalie was next. She felt around and managed to locate her red-rimmed Coco Chanel glasses. They were only slightly scratched. She tossed off her silver shoe (the other was knocked off in the chaos), and climbed out barefoot.
She emerged to find two Haitians digging rubble with their hands, not the rescue team she'd expected.
"Lady, I'm not the one taking you out," one of the young men told Magalie. "Jesus is the one taking you out."
"I know," Magalie told him. "But he's doing it through you. And I need to thank you."
* * *
The day following the quake, with her daughter Naïka safe and her house still standing, Magalie returned to work at Catholic Relief Services. She scoured the city for food for CRS' staff; she bought cell phones for them from a collapsed shop, the owner eager to sell them before they were looted.
As the days slid into weeks, Magalie, with a bandage on her head, helped manage CRS' warehouses as they welcomed food and supplies flooding into CRS from across the world.
She did anything, in fact, to occupy her mind so she wouldn't have to think about her time in the rubble.
"I don't want this to be the focal point of my life," she says.
But even now, she still thinks of the number of Haitians who didn't make it out of the Caribbean Market, the number of Haitians who were trapped for days and weeks in rubble, many of them never rescued.
Work at CRS, in some ways, has helped her cope. It occupies her mind, and crowds out the thoughts—the walls in the market coming at her, the brush with death—that used to haunt her. Thankfully, the thoughts are much less frequent now.
Today, she's in the CRS office, wearing the glasses she wore on the day of the quake, checking her iPhone and focusing on the mission at hand: helping Haiti's survivors.
Buried Alive By Haiti Quake
By Lane Hartill
With her iPhone clamped to one ear, Magalie Rigaud clicked down the aisle of Caribbean Market in her silver heels, trying to find a bag of Alley Cat, the only brand her cat would eat.
Magalie Rigaud, a CRS employee, was trapped with her twin boys in a collapsed supermarket in Port-au-Prince for 8 hours after Haiti's January 12 earthquake. Photo by Lane Hartill/CRS
"There's no Alley Cat," she told Naïka, her teenage daughter, who was on the other end of the phone. "I don't care whether she eats it or not. I'm just going to take one of the brands on the shelves."
Her twin 12-year-old boys, Marc-Edwin and Carl-Edwin, were right next to her, looking at the wall of cat food. The Caribbean Market was the biggest and best, where you could buy everything from bunk beds to Hershey's chocolate syrup. Haitians and expatriates in Port-au-Prince shopped there because they liked the selection and the American brands.
"If she doesn't eat it," Naïka told Magalie, "then she'll just have to starve."
Magalie was scanning the brands. Then she felt a jolt.
"Mommy, what's that?" Marc-Edwin asked her.
"That," Magalie said, "is an earthquake."
The floor started to buck and jump. She took her sons' hands and tried to head for the door, but it was like running on a trampoline. She could see the walls collapsing like dominoes, coming right at her.
That's when her maternal instincts kicked in: She grabbed the boys and pulled them into her.
"I knew that I was stronger and could take the hit better than them," she says.
They got as far as the dog food, when they all went down together. A stack of dog food bags stopped the ceiling and walls from crushing them. Once the shaking had stopped, Magalie and the boys found themselves in a dark cave, lying on their sides. Everything was quiet.
"Mommy, what happened?" Marc-Edwin asked her. "Are we going to die?"
"No," she told him, as the heat started to rise and the dust started to settle. "If we were going to die, we would have already been dead. If God made this cave for us, it's because he knows that someone is going to pick us up."
As they settled in, Magalie fanned the boys, and wondered how long they would be there.
Somewhere in the rubble, Magalie heard voices: A woman screaming for help, two men talking.
"Fabrice, man, this is it, we're dead," said a man named Sonjé. "This is where we're going to die; there's no way out."
"Stop!" Magalie yelled into the dark. "If you were to die, you would have already been dead. I'm not going to die here because I have to get out. I have a daughter waiting for me at home and I need to know how she is doing."
"Madame, you don't know what you are talking about," Sonjé shot back. "There is no way out of here."
"There's a way out," she said. "I'm going to wait till God shows me the way out."
Magalie tried to call Naïka at home, to tell her she was buried alive at the market, to send for help. But she couldn't get through; she figured they were too deep in the rubble. Was Naïka safe? Had her house collapsed?
Stay calm, Magalie thought. Stay strong. She used the flashlight on Marc-Edwin's cell phone to illuminate the cave. It was the size of a doghouse. On the floor, dog food was mixed with liquid soap and sponges and broken glass. Magalie could feel some broken shelves against her back. To her side were Sonjé's feet. Marc-Edwin was sandwiched between Carl-Edwin and her. Fabrice was lying at their feet.
* * *
It didn't take long before the twins started crying.
"Keep calm," she told them. "Hold your breath. We need to save our oxygen. Don't talk. Let me do the talking."
"What we are going to do?" she asked. "We are going to pray."
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.He makes me lie down in green pastures.He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.He leads me in paths of righteousnessfor his name's sake.
God, she thought, is going to get us out of this. He won't abandon us. She and the boys pressed on with the prayer, the second verse eerily appropriate.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil,for you are with me;your rod and your staff,they comfort me.
About this time, Sonjé started up again with his talk of death.
"Can you shut up?" Magalie asked him. "Your negative vibe, keep it for yourself. Anytime you want to talk like this, tell it to yourself, because you're going to die by yourself. I'm not staying here with you. I'm going out. And I'm going out with my sons."
Sonjé shut up.
* * *
"We're in luck," Sonjé burst out suddenly. "I just found some flashlights."
"See this is it, it's a sign from God," said Magalie. "God's giving us time to wait; we are no longer in the dark."
Sonjé turned over the flashlights to Magalie. She turned one on and stuck it between the dog food bags, lighting up the cave. The rest, she would save for later.
"Mommy you're bleeding," said Carl-Edwin, noticing the nasty gash on Magalie's scalp.
"Don't worry about that," she said. "I'll worry about that when we get out. Now we have to conserve our oxygen until people come to rescue us."
* * *
When Sonjé spoke again, he had good news. He had unearthed a cache of Mott's apple juice. And a few cans of carrot, banana and grape juice.
"What did I tell you?" Magalie said.
"I'm starting to believe you," said Sonjé. "I think we are going to get out."
"Don't think that we are going out," Magalie said. "We are going out."
Magalie watched the hours slip by on her cell phone. Marc-Edwin broke the silence.
"Mommy, before I die I want to tell you that I love you."
"We're not going to die!" she said. "Have I ever lied to you?"
"No."
"If we get out…" Marc-Edwin said.
Magalie cut him off. "What?"
"When we get out," he said, "I have to go to school because tomorrow I have a math test."
"Mommy, now I understand what that mothering instinct is," said Carl-Edwin. "I will never forget what you did for us today. You just covered us with yourself. I hope that my wife will be like you."
* * *
The hours dragged by. Over the city of Port-au-Prince hung a cloud of concrete dust. As night started to fall, people wailed and chanted, prayers mixed with fears. Haitians worked through the night pulling friends and family—some alive, some dead—from the rubble. Magalie, insulated in the cave, had no idea if anyone was looking for them.
Sometime after 10 p.m., Magalie heard a noise from the woman trapped above her.
"Ask the lady above what's happening," she instructed Sonjé.
"She says they are working out there," he said. "She can hear people talking."
"Tell her to tell them that once they reach her, that there are five people under her."
Sonjé passed on the message.
A few minutes later, Magalie was getting antsy.
"Sonjé! Tell her again."
"I already did."
"You need to repeat it again so she doesn't forget."
Sonjé did as he was told.
Magalie returned to work at CRS the day after the earthquake and helped buy food and other essentials for the staff. Photo by Lane Hartill/CRS
At some point, Magalie couldn't hear the woman above her. She knew she had been rescued, but wasn't sure that the woman had given the rescuers the message. So she started screaming.
Sonjé started to scream. And somebody answered him.
"Tell them that we are here!" said Magalie.
"I am here!" Sonjé yelled.
"No. Not you. Us!" Magalie said.
For the next hour and a half, they heard the scratching. They knew the rescuers were digging and pounding with a small sledgehammer. They were putting the gravel in a red thermos, hauling it up and throwing it away.
An hour and a half after the woman had gotten out, a hand shot through the wall.
"Do you see my hand?" said a voice.
"Yes," Sonjé said. "I see your hand."
"Okay, wait there," said the voice. "We are working for you."
Sonjé and Fabrice were the first out. Then Magalie decided Carl-Edwin should go.
Then Marc-Edwin went.
Magalie was next. She felt around and managed to locate her red-rimmed Coco Chanel glasses. They were only slightly scratched. She tossed off her silver shoe (the other was knocked off in the chaos), and climbed out barefoot.
She emerged to find two Haitians digging rubble with their hands, not the rescue team she'd expected.
"Lady, I'm not the one taking you out," one of the young men told Magalie. "Jesus is the one taking you out."
"I know," Magalie told him. "But he's doing it through you. And I need to thank you."
* * *
The day following the quake, with her daughter Naïka safe and her house still standing, Magalie returned to work at Catholic Relief Services. She scoured the city for food for CRS' staff; she bought cell phones for them from a collapsed shop, the owner eager to sell them before they were looted.
As the days slid into weeks, Magalie, with a bandage on her head, helped manage CRS' warehouses as they welcomed food and supplies flooding into CRS from across the world.
She did anything, in fact, to occupy her mind so she wouldn't have to think about her time in the rubble.
"I don't want this to be the focal point of my life," she says.
But even now, she still thinks of the number of Haitians who didn't make it out of the Caribbean Market, the number of Haitians who were trapped for days and weeks in rubble, many of them never rescued.
Work at CRS, in some ways, has helped her cope. It occupies her mind, and crowds out the thoughts—the walls in the market coming at her, the brush with death—that used to haunt her. Thankfully, the thoughts are much less frequent now.
Today, she's in the CRS office, wearing the glasses she wore on the day of the quake, checking her iPhone and focusing on the mission at hand: helping Haiti's survivors.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Amen
I am slightly superstitious. It is with trepidation that I publicly announce that I have run without pain. It is with caution that I say I might finish all my work before the last day of school. It is with a hushed voice that I announce that all seems well in most areas of my life.
Why?
My Catholicness humbly and meekly looks downward; but I say "Hallelujah! The sun came out after days of rain! I am happy! My family is safe and healthy! I can see an end to toil! Amen!"
(3 miles - RUNNING!)
Why?
My Catholicness humbly and meekly looks downward; but I say "Hallelujah! The sun came out after days of rain! I am happy! My family is safe and healthy! I can see an end to toil! Amen!"
(3 miles - RUNNING!)
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Today
Mothers' Day! My kids were home. We had dinner together and we took a walk.
Although she had flowers and phone calls, my own mom was by herself today. It is hard to be the daughter and a mom. I am often torn between the two obligations. I hope her day was beautiful and full of the knowledge that we think of her all the time, even when we cannot get to her.
For all of us who mentor, teach, love, nurse, care for, worry about and hope for a child every ten minutes or so, take the 11th minute for yourself. Happy Mothers' Day!
(May 6 - 6 miles, May 9 - 6 miles)
Although she had flowers and phone calls, my own mom was by herself today. It is hard to be the daughter and a mom. I am often torn between the two obligations. I hope her day was beautiful and full of the knowledge that we think of her all the time, even when we cannot get to her.
For all of us who mentor, teach, love, nurse, care for, worry about and hope for a child every ten minutes or so, take the 11th minute for yourself. Happy Mothers' Day!
(May 6 - 6 miles, May 9 - 6 miles)
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Now what?
I took some time off, felt healed, ran, hurt myself again. So...
This can either be a profound experience, or a frustrating experience.
I choose to "put my best foot forward" and be happy to walk.
(3 miles)
This can either be a profound experience, or a frustrating experience.
I choose to "put my best foot forward" and be happy to walk.
(3 miles)
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Truth
The first ten yards stopped me in my tracks today. I guess I am really injured. I did not go home though; I walked six miles instead.
I am coming clean here. I might have to walk these miles for a while while this leg repairs itself. I am laying this out there so that those who are sponsoring "running" will know that I am not actually running right now. I will, of course, announce the happy day that I can get back to running, but for now I walk. So be it.
It was an absolutely beautiful day to walk. Although I was trying to keep a decent pace, I enjoyed the scenery and birdsongs along the way. Life is good.
(6 miles)
I am coming clean here. I might have to walk these miles for a while while this leg repairs itself. I am laying this out there so that those who are sponsoring "running" will know that I am not actually running right now. I will, of course, announce the happy day that I can get back to running, but for now I walk. So be it.
It was an absolutely beautiful day to walk. Although I was trying to keep a decent pace, I enjoyed the scenery and birdsongs along the way. Life is good.
(6 miles)
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
On Being Human
It happened. I injured myself. It is minor, but definitely an issue. I am temporarily deflated...
(3 miles)
(3 miles)
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Purpose
On purpose, for a purpose, without purpose, what's my purpose...
I followed Becky around an island last week. We have not had that much time to talk, and be quiet, for years. I followed in her footsteps down the path, to the beach. I walked beside her for mile after mile. I walked in front of her on a bike path here, a pedestrian walkway there.
We had enough time to talk about our aging physical beings; 50 is not 19, especially at Mile 6. We had time to talk about weather and children and parents and friends. We had more time to talk about dogs and redecorating and past vacations and dinner. We took pictures. We marvelled at dolphins and jelly fish. We discovered new stretches of beach and watched carefully for alligators. We planned for the evening, the next day, our next meeting.
I do not wonder about myself on mornings like those with Becky (or with my sisters, or with Molly).
(April 7 - 8 miles, April 8 - 4 miles)
I followed Becky around an island last week. We have not had that much time to talk, and be quiet, for years. I followed in her footsteps down the path, to the beach. I walked beside her for mile after mile. I walked in front of her on a bike path here, a pedestrian walkway there.
We had enough time to talk about our aging physical beings; 50 is not 19, especially at Mile 6. We had time to talk about weather and children and parents and friends. We had more time to talk about dogs and redecorating and past vacations and dinner. We took pictures. We marvelled at dolphins and jelly fish. We discovered new stretches of beach and watched carefully for alligators. We planned for the evening, the next day, our next meeting.
I do not wonder about myself on mornings like those with Becky (or with my sisters, or with Molly).
(April 7 - 8 miles, April 8 - 4 miles)
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Relief
I am spending some time with my college roommates and their families. We are so lucky to have known each other over so many years. It sounds cliche, but it certainly does not feel cliche; each experience demands its own rules of diplomacy, action and affection. We laugh a lot. We are mean to each other. We love each other completely and without questions and without inhibition. We are the same and oh, so different. We are still growing with each other. We like to eat, drink and be merry!
For those of us who are not here now...we've raised one or two in your name. Love ya.
(March 30 - 3 miles, April 1 - 3 miles, April 5 - 6 miles)
For those of us who are not here now...we've raised one or two in your name. Love ya.
(March 30 - 3 miles, April 1 - 3 miles, April 5 - 6 miles)
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
A Question
Is it possible to have two vocations? Maybe I'm being silly, maybe I'm not. Truth is, one of my vocations is calling, so the other must sit quietly and wait. I have more to say, but I have to enter grades!
(4 miles)
(4 miles)
Monday, March 22, 2010
Saved
God sends us little messages all the time. The trick is to listen.
Carol kept appearing in my line of vision. Haven't seen her since last summer, but, all of a sudden, there she was! She was on my blog. She was at the pizza joint. She was on the sidewalk, blocking the way of my morning walk!
Carol and I ran together yesterday. It was a God-send...a real one! (Thanks, Carol!)
(4 miles)
Carol kept appearing in my line of vision. Haven't seen her since last summer, but, all of a sudden, there she was! She was on my blog. She was at the pizza joint. She was on the sidewalk, blocking the way of my morning walk!
Carol and I ran together yesterday. It was a God-send...a real one! (Thanks, Carol!)
(4 miles)
Thursday, March 18, 2010
I Threw Up a Frown
Sunshine. Birds. Daffodils. Open windows. Running!
(3 miles - March 16 3 miles - March 18)
(3 miles - March 16 3 miles - March 18)
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
As I Said
Earlier I suggested that all my running friends join in this effort. Not kidding! You can do it. Here's how: You can drum up your sponsorships and inform the sponsors about the Running for Haiti blog and CRS donation site (see the right hand side of this blog page!). You will let me know your mileage, and I will post it with mine on this page as your miles. For example, a few entries ago, my daughter sent me a message saying she had run for me that day. Now, in reality, she did not tell me how far, nor did she say she was actually donating to the cause (i.e. collecting sponsor dollars), but let's pretend she did. I'm going to say she ran 1 mile, for the example. I'll show you how I will indicate that at the end of this entry...note that I would also update the "total miles", should I receive real miles from friends, but I won't update it for this example.
Make sense?
If not, drop me a line.
(Liz: 3 miles)
(Molly: 1 mile...for example)
Make sense?
If not, drop me a line.
(Liz: 3 miles)
(Molly: 1 mile...for example)
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Smile
If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never spent time in a dark room with a mosquito.
Exactly.
(3 miles)
Exactly.
(3 miles)
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Conversations Too
So, I was trying to figure out what I was passionate about this week. What did I work extra hard on? What did I sing with heart and soul?
I had a couple of glasses of wine and watched a movie the other evening. At the end of the movie, I wanted to change my life. ...that always happens with a glass of wine. I watched a ton of Olympics, read a few more chapters in my book, attended a Religious Education class. Not mind blowing, but interesting.
Then a friend and I spoke about the floating island of garbage in the Pacific Ocean, which I had just described to my students at school. And my friend innocently said, "It's just too big. There's nothing we can do."
What if we all did something? What if we each did one thing? What if that? Get up!
(3 miles)
I had a couple of glasses of wine and watched a movie the other evening. At the end of the movie, I wanted to change my life. ...that always happens with a glass of wine. I watched a ton of Olympics, read a few more chapters in my book, attended a Religious Education class. Not mind blowing, but interesting.
Then a friend and I spoke about the floating island of garbage in the Pacific Ocean, which I had just described to my students at school. And my friend innocently said, "It's just too big. There's nothing we can do."
What if we all did something? What if we each did one thing? What if that? Get up!
(3 miles)
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Conversations
"We must be the change we want to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi
Did you see the piece on NBC about the town of Gander, Newfoundland?
(5 miles)
Did you see the piece on NBC about the town of Gander, Newfoundland?
(5 miles)
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Sometimes
LIfe is a blur. We've had so many snowy days, I think I've lost track of the days. I ran yesterday...not today. It was a little hilarious; my mouth was all numbed up from the dentist. I was worried about what I might not be aware of, so I spent a lot of energy focusing on my mouth...rediculous.
I'm only human, after all!
(3 miles)
I'm only human, after all!
(3 miles)
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Today
I ran today. That's all, just ran. It wasn't hard or easy, but it was boring. When it's boring, I try to go blank and not think about anything. This seems to make the time go more quickly, but it is difficult to do and even more - lots more - difficult to sustain. I have a certain respect for those who meditate.
When I could not clear my mind today, I tried to focus on my blessings, especially in light of thosewho are suffering in Haiti. Blessings are a theme this week; the Beatitudes will be read on Sunday; my students are learning about the Beatitudes this week; at practice, the choir sang the Beatitudes. It's almost like I should pay attention and spend some time thinking instead of going blank.
(3 miles)
When I could not clear my mind today, I tried to focus on my blessings, especially in light of thosewho are suffering in Haiti. Blessings are a theme this week; the Beatitudes will be read on Sunday; my students are learning about the Beatitudes this week; at practice, the choir sang the Beatitudes. It's almost like I should pay attention and spend some time thinking instead of going blank.
(3 miles)
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Learning to Pray
I take the following from a little card from Contemplatives In Action, in New Orleans. It explains: "The Examen" is a simple prayer, a prayer for busy people who are continually seeking to do the Lord's will." If only I could stay so focused.
The Examen Revisited
I take amoment to consider my participation in building the Kingdom of God through my involvement in social ministry.
Calling to mind my experience...Recall the past day, the past week, the past month, the past year. Go through and review all of those moments.
Arriving in God's Presence...Take a few deep breaths and come to know God's presence within you.
Expressing my Gratitude...What gifts have I received over the course of the day that I can be thankful for? Was there one moment, one person, in particular?
Asking for Forgiveness...Have there been times when I have not been attentive to God's presence or love in my life? I mention those moments now and ask for forgiveness.
Restoring my faith and courage...I ask for healing and remain open to God's desire to care for me.
Hoping for a better tomorrow...I pray that my thoughts and actions be aligned with God's will and that I may turn to God's grace for guidance.
(4 miles)
The Examen Revisited
I take amoment to consider my participation in building the Kingdom of God through my involvement in social ministry.
Calling to mind my experience...Recall the past day, the past week, the past month, the past year. Go through and review all of those moments.
Arriving in God's Presence...Take a few deep breaths and come to know God's presence within you.
Expressing my Gratitude...What gifts have I received over the course of the day that I can be thankful for? Was there one moment, one person, in particular?
Asking for Forgiveness...Have there been times when I have not been attentive to God's presence or love in my life? I mention those moments now and ask for forgiveness.
Restoring my faith and courage...I ask for healing and remain open to God's desire to care for me.
Hoping for a better tomorrow...I pray that my thoughts and actions be aligned with God's will and that I may turn to God's grace for guidance.
(4 miles)
Saturday, February 6, 2010
When it snows it pours (AKA Detours)
Snowstorm, Catholic Schools Week Open House, son with a broken arm...I'm back on track now.
(4 miles)
(4 miles)
News
I took this right out of an email from CRS:
While roads are starting to clear and food and aid are reachinghundreds of thousands of people, the needs are still enormous inHaiti. Toppled buildings, sprawling camps and tented homes set up onthe roadside are sobering reminders of the long road ahead.New fears loom about the oncoming rainy season and the critical needsfor emergency shelter and sanitation. " To help prepare for the coming rains, CRS and ourpartner, Caritas Haiti, have ordered materials for 20,000 temporaryshelter kits, and are planning for more.Nevertheless, we are making strides daily and reaching more peoplethan ever. CRS and Caritas Haiti are distributing an average of 62metric tons of food per day.
CRS and Caritas Haiti medical teams are treating an estimated 300people per day. They are seeing a gradual change in needs from acutewounds to more waterborne illnesses, such as diarrhea and typhoid, soa public health campaign has been created to encourage better sanitaryhealth practices to limit these outbreaks. Additionally, CRS isworking with a team from the University of Maryland shock trauma unit,which will be performing round-the-clock surgeries and saving manymore lives. The 22-person team brought 8,000 pounds of donated and purchased medical supplies, equipment and medications.CRS is extremely grateful for the outpouring of support.
While roads are starting to clear and food and aid are reachinghundreds of thousands of people, the needs are still enormous inHaiti. Toppled buildings, sprawling camps and tented homes set up onthe roadside are sobering reminders of the long road ahead.New fears loom about the oncoming rainy season and the critical needsfor emergency shelter and sanitation. " To help prepare for the coming rains, CRS and ourpartner, Caritas Haiti, have ordered materials for 20,000 temporaryshelter kits, and are planning for more.Nevertheless, we are making strides daily and reaching more peoplethan ever. CRS and Caritas Haiti are distributing an average of 62metric tons of food per day.
CRS and Caritas Haiti medical teams are treating an estimated 300people per day. They are seeing a gradual change in needs from acutewounds to more waterborne illnesses, such as diarrhea and typhoid, soa public health campaign has been created to encourage better sanitaryhealth practices to limit these outbreaks. Additionally, CRS isworking with a team from the University of Maryland shock trauma unit,which will be performing round-the-clock surgeries and saving manymore lives. The 22-person team brought 8,000 pounds of donated and purchased medical supplies, equipment and medications.CRS is extremely grateful for the outpouring of support.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Just thinking
I bought an interesting book called Change the World for Ten Bucks. It was put together by a nonprofit movement called We Are What We Do. They have a website: www.wearewhatwe do.org. I don't claim to know everything about them; you can check them out, but I like some of their stuff. Like this:
"A TV that's plugged in is still using half the electricity of a TV that's turned on. ...unplug appliances or use a power strip with a switch to shut off the flow of electricity (sic)." That's easy!
(5 miles)
"A TV that's plugged in is still using half the electricity of a TV that's turned on. ...unplug appliances or use a power strip with a switch to shut off the flow of electricity (sic)." That's easy!
(5 miles)
Monday, February 1, 2010
keeping up
February 1
It was warmer than expected in Milwaukee this weekend. It was an action packed Saturday, but I managed to squeeze in a few miles. The news says that there was another kind of trouble in Haiti: I am hoping that good intentions have been misunderstood. The option, kidnapping, is too evil to imagine. There is such a long list of things to keep in my prayers.
(3 miles on January 30)
It was warmer than expected in Milwaukee this weekend. It was an action packed Saturday, but I managed to squeeze in a few miles. The news says that there was another kind of trouble in Haiti: I am hoping that good intentions have been misunderstood. The option, kidnapping, is too evil to imagine. There is such a long list of things to keep in my prayers.
(3 miles on January 30)
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Sometimes
Sometimes it is hard to stay focused. And sometimes, when it is hard to stay focused, and I talk myself into it anyway, I have a laugh at myself...because it wasn't that hard to do anyway.
If you are a reader, be a joiner! It will help me focus.
(3 miles)
If you are a reader, be a joiner! It will help me focus.
(3 miles)
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Getting Legit
I am making tracks in the administrative end of this fundraiser. I have been led to the private fundraising registration page of Catholic Relief Services, which will allow me to set up a fund within their organization to which sponsors can send their dollars. I will have the appropriate information posted on this blog by Saturday night (presently working on Catholic Schools Week!).
Please stay tuned. I appreciate your patience, although I feel a terrible urgency when I consider the needs in Haiti.
Please stay tuned. I appreciate your patience, although I feel a terrible urgency when I consider the needs in Haiti.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Running with Dick
What I think about, continued.
I attended a funeral for a friend this weekend. Dick used to sit behind me in choir. He was ornery and sweet. He threw spitballs and pulled ponytails. He was a 10-year old in a 70-year old's body. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's a while back and had to quit choir five years ago. He cried when we carolled at his nursing home.
It wasn't until his funeral that I truly understood Dick. His son talked about his father's quiet generosity; an example to be followed. Turns out Dick and his wife opened their home and ministered to many; they cared for the newborn of the neighboring widower; they housed and sheltered a battered woman; they housed more than one troubled teen; they housed and cared for their own ailing parents. There were other examples, too many to remember.
The hardest miles are the first and the last. I dedicate my first and last today to Dick.
(5 miles)
I attended a funeral for a friend this weekend. Dick used to sit behind me in choir. He was ornery and sweet. He threw spitballs and pulled ponytails. He was a 10-year old in a 70-year old's body. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's a while back and had to quit choir five years ago. He cried when we carolled at his nursing home.
It wasn't until his funeral that I truly understood Dick. His son talked about his father's quiet generosity; an example to be followed. Turns out Dick and his wife opened their home and ministered to many; they cared for the newborn of the neighboring widower; they housed and sheltered a battered woman; they housed more than one troubled teen; they housed and cared for their own ailing parents. There were other examples, too many to remember.
The hardest miles are the first and the last. I dedicate my first and last today to Dick.
(5 miles)
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Running Today
I finished my last run with blisters on the bottom of my feet. Today I have new shoes. You would think that new shoes would solve problems, and they did, but they also take some getting used to, and my legs hurt during my run today.
Put it in perspective, Liz.
(3 miles)
Put it in perspective, Liz.
(3 miles)
Friday, January 22, 2010
One Donation
Ok. So I'm not running today either, but this has been a great day in the history of Running for Haiti!
I have received a sponsorship for my first 25 miles! I am surprised at how inspiring it is to have someone counting on me to run. There are other sponsorships too, but they do not define the actual run; $25 as a general donation, unspecified dollars in general. These are wonderful contributions, but, $1.00 per mile for the first 25 miles! You have called me out. I am running!
Thank you, friend of mine, for being the inspirition for tomorrow's run. I dedicate this run to you!
I have received a sponsorship for my first 25 miles! I am surprised at how inspiring it is to have someone counting on me to run. There are other sponsorships too, but they do not define the actual run; $25 as a general donation, unspecified dollars in general. These are wonderful contributions, but, $1.00 per mile for the first 25 miles! You have called me out. I am running!
Thank you, friend of mine, for being the inspirition for tomorrow's run. I dedicate this run to you!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Details
Another day off...
There have been many blessings today! My school principal has volunteered to send out a letter about Running for Haiti to all of the school's parents. She also suggested placing a notice in our church bulletin - she'll handle the details! This is huge and, frankly, quite intimidating! To top it off, the church choir has asked for information.
Just keep running, mama.
I spent a significant amount of time searching for a contact within CRS today. I have a feeling the organization is crazy busy and might even have a large number of people in Haiti. Do not lose the faith though; I will have donation information soon. I made calls and sent emails to several people today and I am sure they will respond.
In the meantime, I will pray. And run.
There have been many blessings today! My school principal has volunteered to send out a letter about Running for Haiti to all of the school's parents. She also suggested placing a notice in our church bulletin - she'll handle the details! This is huge and, frankly, quite intimidating! To top it off, the church choir has asked for information.
Just keep running, mama.
I spent a significant amount of time searching for a contact within CRS today. I have a feeling the organization is crazy busy and might even have a large number of people in Haiti. Do not lose the faith though; I will have donation information soon. I made calls and sent emails to several people today and I am sure they will respond.
In the meantime, I will pray. And run.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Run Number Two
Things I think about when I run (today, for example): time, breathing, what I should have said, lists, time again, big strong legs, prayer, clearing out all thoughts, calories, orphans in Haiti, blisters, blessings.
I dedicate these 4 miles to my Aunt Joyce, who spent her life working for justice, peace and true love.
(4 miles)
I dedicate these 4 miles to my Aunt Joyce, who spent her life working for justice, peace and true love.
(4 miles)
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
A Day Off
Today is not a running day, but there is no less thinking. Today I thought about committing any funds raised to Catholic Relief Services, earmarked for relief in Haiti, of course. When I learn how and where to send contributions, I will post that information. I am hoping that I can set up a fund (Running for Haiti) at CRS, but I am not sure yet how that works. I did get a contact name today, so I'm on my way...we are on our way!
Good comes out of the ashes: I am ever thankful for my many blessings. More miles soon!
Good comes out of the ashes: I am ever thankful for my many blessings. More miles soon!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Run Number One
I ran the first four miles of this journey today. Just four miles...I wonder how far I can run in five or so months? I am a slow runner. No matter how far I can run, it will take a long time to get there!
Running is a thinking process for me. Today, aside from the usual thinking topics, which I might share later, I thought about my request for sponsorship. I have decided that I was somewhat inconsiderate in my request, stating that I was only going to do what I always do, while asking you to do more. So, I, too, will sponsor my runs and pledge $1.00 per mile for the endurance of this project. What about you?
(4 miles)
Running is a thinking process for me. Today, aside from the usual thinking topics, which I might share later, I thought about my request for sponsorship. I have decided that I was somewhat inconsiderate in my request, stating that I was only going to do what I always do, while asking you to do more. So, I, too, will sponsor my runs and pledge $1.00 per mile for the endurance of this project. What about you?
(4 miles)
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Running for Haiti begins
I was running today, and as I was running I was thinking about how I can respond to the crisis in Haiti. My thoughts wandered around, touching on my feelings of inadequacy in the face of such a monster issue, and on my longing to help in a meaningful way. I was running and running and thinking and thinking when it occurred to me that I was doing the very thing that I can do to help. I can run.
It is Sunday night, January 17. Tomorrow I will take my first run to raise funds for the people of Haiti. Thanks for joining me in my running journey.
It is Sunday night, January 17. Tomorrow I will take my first run to raise funds for the people of Haiti. Thanks for joining me in my running journey.
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