Shopped at Sam's Club yesterday with my friend from Haiti. Her grocery list looks nothing like my grocery list.

We started with one cart; ten minutes later I got a second; ten minutes after that another friend got a flat bed cart to fill. We made one dandy parade up and down the aisles of Sam's Club.

In addition to what we collected, Sam's Club personnel had already pulled the items from another Haitian master list and had twenty carts filled and waiting for us at the exit where a truck was waiting.

A few items we left with were:

32,000 napkins for the school and homes
Tang powder for 550 quarts
600 plastic cups
840 plastic plates
Coffee for 10,000 servings

Returning home I looked at my personal shopping list:

small package of napkins
One small can of Tang
One package of 25 plastic cups
One package of 25 Chinette plates, sectioned
Coffee, instant, one small jar

My supplies need only last well, until they run out. When they do I can drop in at any grocery store and replenish them. Not so for those who live and teach in Haiti. These supplies are for 20 families of teachers and over 350 students...for three months - or more if the boat is delayed, or if a new tariff is added, or ...fill in the blank with any number of natural disasters.

I knew I had it easy but I know that now in a deeper way. And that's what I'm thinking about.