Haiti seems always waiting for the casual visitor to return; and year after year I return. Friends who live and teach there, who have raised and are raising their kids there draw me time after time. I can not stay away. An island in the middle of the Caribbean the tropical geography and laid back way of life are magnets. The people happy amidst the greatest poverty in the hemisphere.

What is it about Haiti?

It is the young boy who sells little bags of fried plantains from a basket he balances on his head. It's the sound of donkeys refusing to go a step further under their burden and the sound of the tree switch hitting stubborn flanks. It is the laughter of hundreds of children, blue and white uniforms cleaned and pressed and their standing in line singing the national anthem of Haiti hands outstretched in homage. It's the electricity that is turned off at day break and back on at dusk, the sound of United Nation peacekeeping vans on the street and the whine of mo-pends bringing kids to and then from school.

It's the brilliant sunset over the far peninsula and the sail boats heading home with their catch of red snapper or shrimp, or one with human cargo of workers clinging precariously to the sides. It's the rocky beach where one might see a pig taking a short cut home. It's the siren of the water truck and the bark of dogs, the crow of roosters all day and the drums of dancing late at night.

All this is Haiti.

It is Son Center, being built on the ocean front which will house the church which is bursting at the seams and the Bible college. Sturdy beams now span the meeting area. A dream is becoming a reality.

It's the national pride you see in students, their parents believing that education equals hope. It does...and their education is the hope for Haiti. Educated young people who love their country. They will make a difference.

Each time I return to Haiti I see the inroads being made on the north coast. Having nothing of value to offer, I lend a hand here and there, hold a child, hug a student, read to some, encourage others, and just watch in amazement as little by little Light is replacing darkness.

And that's what I'm thinking about.

There is no plastic in first class, no hermetically-sealed, impossible to open little bags of dried bananas and raisins, each costing $4.

No, the people in front of the curtain between airline cabins are treated differently.

I had always said that the back of the plane gets to the gate at the same time as the front, but now I know that during flight there is much to be said for first class.

And that is where we were.

Thanks to an upgrade which had nothing to do with us but with the platinum club member we were traveling with. Three first class seats.

My friend and I sat there grinning. We had tried not to 'look down' on those traveling coach as they filed past to the back of the plane. We tried to put on an expression of entitlement when served warm cashews and almonds in a warm ceramic dish. We attempted to expect the hot towelette as something needed to rid our fingers of nut salt. We tried to sit still and not wiggle from side to side in the plush and generous seats.

As we stretched our legs out and kept on stretching until they were at full length in front of us we asked the other to hold us accountable for not falling asleep. We needed to experience every benefit of what would surely not be a regular occurrence.

When the grilled salmon was served, on china of course, with linen place mat and napkin, we were a little sorry that we had stopped at Chili's at the airport and eaten before the flight. Not deterred by that little fact, we ate. After the entree came the fruit and cheese course. Dessert was ice cream with raspberry sauce. We did pass on that.

The crinklely sound of little cellophane bags on the other side of the curtain being ripped opened and plastic cups being disposed of in garbage bags carried up and down the aisle by the cabin stewards was music to our ears.

We just kept on grinning.

But then as quickly as it happened, we landed at our next destination. With one more leg of the journey to go before home, the last flight was back to our normal coach seats.

But for a few hours we were Cinderellas at the ball, the Trumps at the Plaza.

I know there should be some moral here and please if you wish, make one up that fits for you.
For me, it was just fun and I loved it.

And that's what I think about it.

Off this morning to Haiti. More when I return.

A friend has just completed three stained glass creations (13x20 each) for the family in Haiti. I will not get to see them until I arrive in Haiti since they are bubble wrapped for transport but I know they are beautiful. It has taken nearly a year of painstaking creativity and labor.

A year. Twelve months!

She is giving them away.

She may never see them in their final home.

How selfless.

Why am I amazed when someone is generous and giving and...selfless? Perhaps it is because it seems to be a rare, and becoming rarer, personality trait and because of its rarity it stands out all the more vividly.

And that's what I think about it.