My Two Year Anniversery

Laughter is important. It is positive energy, a powerful source of strength. I try to laugh everyday. Usually it’s at myself when I cannot properly communicate something and it doesn’t turn out exactly as it was meant. Gracie makes me laugh. I laugh with friends. I laugh watching “Modern Family” TV series.

Sometimes when things seem the darkest, allowing a memory to bring laughter to your heart is all that is needed to take the next step.

Some people are amazed that I have been here 2 years – today actually . People have asked me how can I stand to be here that long. How do you deal with the hardship? How do deal with the sadness.? The garbage? The rubble? Doesn’t it get to you that nothing changes? And lots of other negative things.

First, I am amazed that it has been two years. Second, there have been a lot of changes. Thirdly, you can’t dwell on the big picture, can’t look at only the negative. It takes too much energy. Two years later all is not sad. This is not to say that there isn’t sad times, bad things that happen, or that its not hard work. There is still a lot of work to do. T We just have to pick our moments.

Thursday night my friend Noel and his wife Carmel had a baby girl. Their daughter Francesca is 10 yrs old. She has been wanting a baby brother or sister for a long time. After the earthquake, Francesca was trapped for 3 days in the rubble of Twins Market. When Noel finally heard her voice under all that cement, he stayed with her for 3 days until he could get help to get her out. Its hard for him to talk about and he doesn’t like to talk about it. He and his wife also took in 5 children whose parents were killed in the earthquake. He works hard to take care of his family, never asks me for more. He of course has worries how he will provide for these children but does not complain that he was given additional burden. I remember the morning he told me his wife was pregnant. We were driving along and he started laughing. He said he had a good joke for me. For several weeks, Carmel had been feeling sick and had gone to the doctors. Since they had given up hope of having another baby, they were very surprised at the news. Now he laughed and said Francesca is so happy. We made jokes and laughed about it.

Noel likes jokes and likes to laugh. It gives him strength. I know the challenges that lay ahead for him but I’m happy for him and Carmel and Francesca. They have love and laughter in their hearts again.

Today Fiona and I picked up the Minnesota team at the airport. ( Most of the tents have been removed – another good sign).

Waiting for the team to come out of the airport we talked with the some of the guys waiting to help people with the luggage, we watched them as they goofed around with each other, arguing and laughing and just generally horsing around while they waited, hoping someone will allow them to help with the luggage and the supplies piled high on carts. We laughed with them and laughed at the people coming through the doors to be greeted by this chaos that surrounded them. Oh, I do remember that first time I came out and experienced the same thing but now its just very amusing. These men have at least come to recognize me and greet me sweetly. I’ve learned some of their stories of that fateful day. I’ve seen some of the changes in their faces since those early days when I was going to airport to pick up people. They are finding strength in their camaraderie, their jokes and horsing around.

Tears wash away the dirt of sorrow, but laughter gets you through the day. Today I will laugh.