Looking Outside the Great U.S. of A. to Give Back

Last week when the earthquake and resulting tsunami hit Japan I was totally unaware. I was in bed when my boyfriend called upstairs telling me a major earthquake had hit Japan. Know what I did? Went back to bed. Literally, I may have mumbled something and rolled over and went back to bed.

A few hours later when I was up and functioning I watched the footage of the devastation online. I was mortified. What a horrible natural disaster and how casually I had blown it off earlier in the day. As I watched homes slide down the street, highways turn in to waterways and people huddle together in shops and office buildings I was reminded of 9/11. That same feeling hit my chest and pit of my stomach. Why do things like this have to happen in the world? We can say it was just that - a natural disaster - or that there's some higher purpose, but I honestly can't find the sense in it. And I struggle to believe "everything happens for a reason" when I see how many innocent pepole were either killed or had their lives destroyed by this event.

There's a million different ways you can do someting small in the wake of this tragedy. I've had friends posting on Facebook all week of different charities and opportunities to make a contribution. Just do it. Don't question it, don't talk politics, just do it.

Here's how I chose to show my support:

A cool t-shirt company I shop from a lot created a line of t-shirts with 100% of the proceeds going to relief efforts for the hardest hit areas (that's why the tshirts all have a series of different city names on them). The company is called Palmer Cash and unbeknownst to me their second largest market is in Japan and they have some pretty strong roots there. I know a $20 donation that gets me a t-shirt may seem somewhat self-serving, but my thought was every time I wear this t-shirt it will be another reminder to be humble and grateful and look out for others. Get yours here if you're interested: http://www.palmercash.com/