Healthy, Safe, and Free

I am healthy. I am safe. I am free.

I'm constantly amazed at the extent to which the universe will go to teach me perspective...

For those who know me, I'm not a politically inclined person. I honestly don't follow it. On purpose. It annoys me.  So, this is not a political post. This is simply an observation, by a human being. based on life. Her life.

Recently, I became ill. I had pneumonia. It's not fun. In fact, I don't recommend it. Anyway, I was trying to muddle through some ridiculous insurance crap in order to be seen by a new provider because my employer had changed some policies. I couldn't get in to the person I wanted and I was quite upset about it. In fact, I cried. Cried.

The same day, a sweet friend of mine checked in just to see how I was doing, as she does most days. I saw her name pop up on my phone, followed by the inevitable, "Hello friend! How are you today?"  I responded by telling her that I was ill, and that I had pneumonia, so I wasn't feeling well. I put the phone down and walked away for a moment. When I came back, I noticed that she'd responded to me. I opened that message and my jaw dropped, and this time, the tears were warranted.

My friend is Haitian. She is a beautiful, vibrant, Haitian woman. She is driven and compassionate, and one of the most loving souls I've ever met. But perhaps the most inspiring thing about my friend, is her optimism, her ability to hope in the face of diversity. Today, some people in her country decided to riot against a proposed increase in gas prices. For reasons she doesn't understand, her streets were on fire. Buildings surrounding her had bricks thrown through the windows. Her sister was unable to come home after a day of work because there was literally ZERO transportation. So, what did she do? She walked. All night. Alone. In Haiti. She arrived home sometime this morning. She is safe. And we are grateful.

I've thought about my friend all day today. She was in the forefront of my mind as I drove to work, in a car that I own and can afford to fuel appropriately. I drove without fear and without any thought as to whether or not it would be safe to leave my place of work later that night and drive to my home. I thought of her as I climbed the stairs and although it caused me to cough a little, I could breathe for the first time in a few days, thanks to antibiotics I'd gotten the day I was diagnosed. Do you know what my friend's response was to my message about being ill? Let this sink in...

"Oh my! I pray that you can get to someone to help and that they can find a treatment for you! Please tell me you will be well again!"

Like I said, this time, my tears were warranted. Get to someone who can help? Pray there is a treatment for me? I hadn't had either of those fears. Not once. Of course there is treatment for pneumonia and of course I could "get there." But these privileges are not a given, for my friend. They are not a right.

I began to think about what makes us different. Did I work harder than she did? Absolutely not. Am I smarter? Certainly no. The woman speaks three languages fluently, and dabbles in a few more. Am I more compassionate? I challenge anyone to find a more compassionate being than this young woman. So what is different? There is only one thing that separates us. I was born here. She was born there. I didn't earn my birthplace. She didn't earn hers. It's where we landed. So why did I get this life full of abundance and privileges that I'm too ignorant to even recognize that I have, and she is the one with hope. She is the one spreading optimism and love and, for her, the importance of Jesus.

I don't live under a rock, and so despite my disdain for political rants, I see the memes and the posts related to borders and who "should be allowed in" and who shouldn't. I wonder if anyone who feels that people should "stay out" would feel that way if they met my friend? I don't know any human being in my circle who would be a better neighbor, a more driven student, and more compassionate friend. She encompasses all that I believe this country truly wants to see in its citizens. And I see the plea for people to "just come legally." Oh friends...if only you knew what that meant.

My friend wants to study music. Her voice is sensational, and she wishes to teach. She could go to school in Haiti, but when she finished paying the tuition that she can't afford, even if she excelled greatly in her studies, she could simply be denied a diploma. Even if she gets a diploma after her years of study and hard work, she cannot get a job in Haiti after being taught IN Haiti. If she were to be taught in a developed country, she could go home and be nearly guaranteed a job. Easy fix, right? Just come to America, and better your life. Oh if only it were that simple. It takes YEARS to even be considered for a visa to get here. She must prove to her country that she has a reason to return home. For example, if she were to leave behind a husband, or better yet, children, she might be granted a visa to leave for study. Even then, even with the proper documentation in hand, the wait list to enter is years long. Years. So, better her life? Tell me how. Tell HER how. She'd listen. She's all ears. I'M all ears. If I could make it happen,  she'd live in my home TODAY. I couldn't find a better role model for my children.

So, I don't know what the answer is. I'm not quoting memes. I'm not looking for a political discussion. I'm simply telling you what I know. What I've SEEN with my own eyes. I'm telling you about my friend. My real, live friend. A person. A beautiful person that I'm blessed to count among one of my closest friends. She is driven, she is smart, she is compassionate...and her streets are on fire.

My children will come to live in America. They'll enjoy privileges that some will never know. Someday they will be annoyed with insurance squabbles. They'll whine about gas prices, and they'll be exhausted after a long day of work...hopefully doing something they love. And so today I'm grateful for lungs that work, because I had access to adequate healthcare. I'm grateful for the debit card that worked to fill my car with gas. I'm grateful for tired legs, after a day at work, doing the job I was born to do.

I am healthy. I am safe. I am free.