Heather in Paradise

Well, after over 2 weeks of hell, frustration, anger, sadness, insomnia, and exhaustion, I am absolutely over the moon to report that FINALLY the Mexican governement has declared Costa Maya (the area where Mahahual is located) a disaster area.  They have also asked for help from the International Red Cross, which will pave the way for MUCH NEEDED aid to reach these poor people who have lost everything in the hurricane.

To date, the group of expatriate locals who have banded together under the name “Playa Pals” have raised around 26,000 usd combined, perhaps more.  While this money has served as a shield against total starvation, it is still just a Band-Aid on a slit throat.  Today when I read the news informing us that the calvary was, in fact, arriving, I sat at my computer with my head down and just bawled my little green eyes out.

When I moved here, I committed myself to becoming a member of this community in a way that I never found possible in an enormous city like Chicago.  I have volunteered for Angel Notion (a children’s medical charity), the Bomberos (the local firemen), and have helped raised money for friends who were in horrific accidents.  In just 3 years, I feel as though I have become a more interesting and compassionate person because of this commitment to thanking Mexico in some small way for their allowing me to live here.  But nothing, and I mean nothing, could have prepared me for what this hurricane relief effort has done for me.

Our little group of volunteers made enough noise and enlisted enough help from family, friends, and complete strangers to actually make a tiny little difference in the lives of a lot of people who had no other resources. 

Fuck, I can’t tell you how happy I am right now.