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| Team Jacmel 2015 |
It is Thanksgiving Day in Wichita. The vast plains sky is a
solid cloud of grey and it is raining, that specific Midwest type of rain that
is only a few degrees shy of sleet. It is the perfect day to hunker down in
front of the fire with family, eat too much food, watch too much football, and
just revel in the joy of togetherness. This is a special holiday – focused more
on community, less on 'stuff'– a holiday about family and friends and
remembering how much we all have to be thankful for.
In the stormy cold of Wichita, I am far from the tropical
heat and blue skies of Jacmel. It has been less than a week since we jumped on
tiny jets and left our coastal stomping grounds. On this day, as I reflect on
all that I am thankful for, I am tremendously humbled by the family of dear
friends who shared that special week. I am thankful for such willing and generous
volunteers who gave their time, money, skill and hearts to care for children in
Haiti. I am thankful for the Haitian team who welcomed us, supported us and
taught us so much about their beautiful, hopeful people and the spirit of their
special island. I am thankful for our patients and their families who trusted
this posse of Blancs to take the best care of their children. And I am thankful
for the countless family and friends who support our team financially and
emotionally as we continue to move through this experience.
During our last team meeting, the common theme was certainly
one fitting of this Thanksgiving holiday. This experience taught us so much
about being thankful – for a smile, a touch, a spirited game of balloon
volleyball, a gentle carry to the operating room, privacy in the recovery room,
sincere attention, respect, hope, and grace. By the fortune of our birthplace,
we ‘have’ more than most – but do we have more of what matters? I think we do.
I think we just have to look for it, and be thankful for it everyday, not just
on this cold day in Wichita.
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