Dear IF readers,

Welcome to our March issue of International Family Magazine.  The world has recently suffered a tragedy in Haiti and we gather as a world family to mourn and help.  In my other life as a teacher, my students and I are reading a science fiction book by Suzanne Collins entitled, “The Hunger Games”.  It is set in the future on the continent of North America after storms have ravaged the Earth and there is very little left to sustain humanity.  Haiti’s recent earthquake has a reported death toll of 200,000; 2008 brought 220,000 fatalities from natural disasters, the record-breaking tropical storms at Cat 4 or 5 in 2006, Hurricane Katrina in North America in 2005, 2004’s Indian Ocean Tsunami…. Is Collins one of those writers whose eerie predictions will come true? 

I would rather not get too caught up in apocalyptic talk but wonder about the good that is present in today’s awful tragedy.  Sometimes when life goes along its course and the world spins easily on its axis, the human family gets caught up in wishing for more.  It takes a situation like Haiti for us to understand that when the basics of survival have been taken away, those were the greatest riches of all.  When things are very good, we tend to separate and compete.  I watch the human family as closely as I watch my own family.  We are at our best when things are at there worst.  Why is that?

Have you ever been asked to “act as if it were your last day on Earth?”  I have been asked that once.  I will never forget it.  I try to remember it everyday.  I also try to think of the absolute precious time that I have with my family.  Last night was my typical Friday night.  After my husband had traveled for the week, I crawled off to a movie theatre seat alone after a long week of teaching, editing IF mag and, parenting my two sons.  After about 120 minutes of recharge, I missed my family again. 

Last night I arrived home to find my husband in bed quietly reading with my 7 year old next to him asleep after a nightmare.   I started to cry at the sight of how beautiful they looked.  My husband teased me, of course.  I had just returned from a movie entitled, “Valentine’s Day” with a wonderful ensemble of Hollywood actors. In the movie there was warmth, heartache, loyalty, betrayal, friendship, forgiveness, intimacy, loss, separation, reunions, and great make-ups.  In the end, you understood that love is not easy.  Like food, water and shelter, love is one of the simple, great riches on Earth.