I am grateful for........

Sitting in an Air France plane after a week of living without real showers, air conditioners, ice, consistent electricity, beds, running water is something to be grateful for – and I was very grateful when I sank into 9B. We had done it. Made it to Haiti and performed our mission and safely made it back onto the plane in one piece. In fact, in the end we were not scared of the country or the people. We had gotten to know them individually, deeply individually as we watched their deaths, struggles, hunger, dehydration, grief and against all odds – happiness despite a minute on January 13^th that changed all of their lives forever.

As the air conditioning came on and cooled the temperature on the plane, I thought about the family that had their son Jonas in a tent that was sweltering at 80 degrees and above all day long. As we ate the food handed to us, I thought about the 80 year old woman who asked for food from her hospital bed because they expect family to give them food and her 7 children had moved to the U.S. and had not visited her since the earthquake. I sipped the red wine thinking about the countless people who came into the emergency department and clinics from dehydration. I rested my head on my chair and thought of the countless people in the tent cities that did not have a chair or a bed in their makeshift tent and thus slept on the dirt…unless it rained and they had to stand up until it was over.

We landed and headed to customs. Waiting in line I looked around at the smooth marble floors, the building that was cool and well light, and at the surrounding buildings outside the window that all were neatly in order with shiny cars and free of debris and trash. A video was playing welcoming you to the United States – showing the many splendors of our country as the song goes from the mountains to the prairies…and Danielle and I discussed how emotional it made us feel to come home.

So I looked around slowly and took it all in and thought to myself I am grateful for all this…..and as I began to walk through the airport I started to think if you take the time to be in your surroundings enough to listen to life around you – you catch things you would have missed if you weren’t truly in the moment. Now people that know me….know how I whirl through life and my husband Michael laughs at how my idea of relaxing is doing something productive on my free time….but I stopped…..and thought about how the Haitian people were happy and grateful despite everything that was handed to them….and I decided to try to identify every little thing through my day that I should be grateful for in my life. I was aware now to be grateful for the shower and warm bed in the hotel in Miami-something I took for granted for before. Simple moments, simple pleasures.

I am grateful for husband Michael who is breathtaking to me. I am grateful for Luke who is an amazing soul, Ella who is magical and Jack who is a breath of fresh air. I am grateful for my family and friends and health. Grateful to spend an amazing week with four women who are dedicated to their profession, families and friends-what a great journey.

Kimberly