Making a Difference Monday

This is my first time participating in this series, created by Carrie at [carrotspeak.], but I have been so impressed at the outpouring of charity and thoughtfulness in the past week that I felt I had to post something.

I like to think I make a difference, somewhere, somehow, to someone, every day. It's not always note-worthy, but I like to think my actions matter. We all do.

Well, this week, I stepped it up a tiny notch because I was so touched by the terrifying earthquake that struck Haiti last week. I have never been to Haiti, but I've been hoping to stop there for a day on a cruise in the future. I've traveled to over a half dozen Caribbean islands, and the images I took in my head on the poorest of those islands remains with me. While they may not have been the most beautiful islands or the islands I had the most fun on, they were the islands that touched me and, I believe, made me a better person.

So, I felt the need to help the Haitians in whatever small way I could. After researching the Red Cross cell phone donation to make sure it wasn't a scam, I texted "Haiti" to 90999 on my cell phone to contribute $10. My only regret is that, as I heard on the radio this morning, the Red Cross has to wait for everyone to pay their phone bills to actually get this money! But, the campaign was hugely successful.

Then, I read on a Greatful Day how an Etsy seller was donating $10 from the sale of each of her beautiful "Blessed" necklaces to Compassion's work in the Haiti disaster relief effort.

Isn't it pretty? I promptly ordered one, and I'm thinking of ordering a second to give as a gift.

I wish I could do more. I wish I could volunteer and fly down to Haiti to hand out clean water, or help connect children with their parents, or save all of the abandoned animals. But the only other thing I can do is pray, and I will most certainly do that. Lord, please watch over your children in Haiti and provide them with strength and comfort in this desperate time of need.

I also wanted to share this lovely act of kindness from Micaela at Dolce Vita.

What does waterless hand sanitzer, refreshing mist spray, pillow spray and ultra-moisturizing body lotion from Bath&Body Works do? Micaela, who has a brother fighting over in Iraq for this country, learned there were women over there she could help. She obtained the names and addresses of three of them and sent them this lovely care packa sanitizer ge of thoughtful "girly" things to make their time over there a bit more pleasant. This act of thoughtfulness just blew me away! I hope these women have sweet dreams sleeping on lavender-scented pillows, feel refreshed from the dry desert air after using their mist, stay healthy because of their sweet-smelling hand, and maintain comfortable skin using some lush lotion.