Watching from afar, I found myself heavy with worry for family back home and for those I’ve never met. Because when disaster strikes, there’s no “them” and “us”—only us.

As the news unfolded—houses washed away, communities darkened, the sound of crying carried on the wind—I felt the helplessness that distance can bring.

Yet, I also felt a stirring. A whisper reminding me that empathy is holy. That even when we cannot stand beside one another in the storm, we can stand for one another through love, through prayer, through action.

Jamaica is a land of endurance, a people of light who know how to rise again. But still, this moment asks all of us—those near and far—to pause and remember what it means to live in gratitude.

Gratitude is not just a quiet thank you whispered before a meal. It is an active grace. It’s the realization that to have safety, shelter, and peace of mind is to hold a divine responsibility. To be blessed is to be called to bless.

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Standing in the truth of who we are is not only an inward journey of self-acceptance—it is also an outward expression of compassion. When we see the suffering of others and recognize ourselves in them, we are standing in truth. When we reach out a hand to help, even in small ways, we are living that truth. The storms of life are not just natural disasters; they are divine mirrors that reflect who we are when everything familiar is stripped away.

In every tragedy, there is revelation. Though the winds may destroy, they cannot dismantle the love that binds us. Out of the debris rises community. Out of despair, the will to rebuild.

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This is the resilience of the human spirit—especially the Jamaican spirit. 

So as we watch and pray from afar, let us not scroll past their pain. Instead, let it move us. Let it soften us. Let it call us to give, to care, to show up. Whether through prayer, financial support, or simply amplifying voices on the ground, our compassion carries power.

If you’re able, consider supporting relief efforts through trusted organizations such as the Jamaica Red Cross or Food For the Poor Jamaica, both actively providing shelter, food, and emergency supplies to families affected by Hurricane Melissa. Every act of giving—no matter how small—helps restore not just homes, but hope.

Because when the storm touches one of us, it touches us all.