It’s been a year since Earthquake Haiti wreaked havoc throughout the country. It seemed like my world, along with many others in the Haitian diaspora, stopped when the news hit home. One by one, you’d hear a friend or relative had immediate family in the country and couldn’t get in contact with them. It was truly haunting feeling. But Lord only knows where people’s minds were at in ground zero.

Ultimately my aunts, uncle and grandmother got out in time and eventually made it back to the U.S. While I gained piece of mind, I didn’t feel right about being too celebratory. A few people I know weren’t nearly as fortunate and are still grieving. They managed to get through and live life. But that monumental event did more than leave a mark on our lives.

I’m at a point where the quake isn’t the predominant theme in my day to day matters. But I’d be lying if I didn’t think about it at least once a daily, especially before I sleep. Heck, my family’s firsthand accounts still give me chills at times; hearing of them being trapped in the house until a crack in the wall opened an escape route. What’s more is my father talked about taking me along with him to visit Haiti with my aunts and uncle since I hadn’t been there since ’97. Those plans never materialized. Nevertheless, I can’t help but imagine how things would’ve transpired had we actually up and left.

I could go on and on about how my family and friends dealt with the tragedy. And I’d rather not get started on how relief and clean up efforts have all but stalled. I’d preferably relate these thoughts to a song that helped me put things in perspective. Kendrick Lamar’s “The Heart Pt. 2″ wrestles with a multitude of themes as Overly Dedicated‘s leadoff track. But the following lines stuck out the most as I reflect today.

“Out in Haiti adolescents barely have a home
In L.A., everybody think they’re f*ckin’ on
Hop on twitter, perpetrate we doin’ big sh*t
Who we hangin’ wit and braggin’ ’bout the iPhone”

Here I am, chillin’ at home from today’s blizzard while thousands of people in Haiti haven’t bounced back, let alone had much to begin with even before that fateful event. Those bars have me feeling some kind of way about how I may take things for granted and become inconvenienced with petty occurrences. Meanwhile, people elsewhere have real issues at hand and would love to be in your shoes. The thought can make anyone sit back and count their blessings while keeping those still reeling in our thoughts and prayers. Moreover, it gives all of us another reminder to not give much light to frivolous matters. That’s not to say we can’t enjoy life and the silly things that come with it. But we all ought to know what’s important at the end of the day and act accordingly.

The least we all could do is set aside a moment for everyone affected by the earthquake in Haiti and the ensuing cholera epidemic. Lets be reminded that the nightmare is far from over. Haiti still needs help as billions of dollars and various resources pledged by various governments and NGOs worldwide are in limbo. With that said I want to extend my thanks to anyone who donated money, materials, contributed and continue to help in any way towards relief. History and better judgment suggests aid will continue to trickle through at a snail’s pace. Hopefully, Kendrick’s words and this post will keep the event in your minds so we remind ourselves and those who pledged big bucks of Haiti’s plight. Pegging it as yesterday’s news is the last thing the country needs as there’s plenty of work cut out for it.

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Kendrick Lamar Feat. Dash Snow – “The Heart Pt. 2″