My sister-in-law is a native Haitian, and after disaster struck in Port Au Prince, her family received the news that three of her aunts who were still residing in their native land had not been heard from as of Wednesday. As the day unfolded, two of her aunts contacted her, but there is still no information on the third.
Through all of the images and stories I've seen over the past week, I can't help but send my well wishes and prayers out to the people of Haiti. This really helps put things in perspective. We live our comfortable lives every day and stress over the small things like car repairs, cable bills and other non-necessities, and when things like this happen, it gives the world an inside look at the devastation that can strike under-developed countries on any given day.
Disasters do occur in the United States — and aside from Hurricane Katrina, they are dealt with promptly and efficiently — but something of this magnitude rallies people from across the globe in order to work towards a common cause: helping out our fellow man.
David Ortiz, a native of the Dominican Republic, shared his thoughts about the disaster on Friday's edition of SportsDesk, and he made it clear that he, along with other Dominican-born players, are planning on doing their best to help out with all of the relief efforts in the neighboring Haiti. This is a sign that not only is this disaster bigger than one person — it brings to light the fact that during an intense time of need, all volunteers are welcome.
This is not a problem that can be fixed overnight, but with the help and dedication of great people all over the globe, this disaster may have the ability to bring people together in a time of need.
