So.There

For years you have shared your stories and feelings with a world of strangers, and in turn have read the ones those very strangers have displayed as well. You've cried at letters, laughed at others, been angry and sad and frustrated and moved. You've connected with people you don't even know. I met one of my best friends through this very site, three years ago, and I can no longer imagine my life without her in it. Magical things can happen through this crazy thing we call the Internet, and perhaps we haven't needed that magic as much as we do right now.

On December 26, 2004 a 9.0 earthquake occured under the sea in Sumatra, Indonesia, causing tsunamis that devastated a dozen countries, from Indonesia to Somalia, and leaving 120,000 people dead. Millions are homeless. Thousands are still missing, already presumed dead. Life will never be the same for so many, many people in this region, and they all need your help. As citizens of the same planet, as people that still have their loved ones and their livelihoods, who still have their homes and possessions, I believe we have a responsibility to the victims of this tragedy.

I'm not asking you to feel guilty that you're alive. Celebrate your life. Love your family. Hug your friends. Be very happy. But don't do any of it without first lending a helping hand in some way. Donate. Send supplies. Get involved. Raise money. Anything. There are so many, many ways you can help. Go to a website and donate a few dollars, if that's all you can afford. Contact embassies of the affected countries in your own country and ask them what you can contribute, how you can help. Spread the world. Send e-mails, ask your schools and workplaces to help contribute to the relief aid. It will take a long time for the hurt and homeless to recover, and we cannot stop now. Aid must be continuous. Help. Please, please help.

Parents have buried their children, and children have lost their parents. Loved ones are missing and now bodies cannot even be identified because they need to be buried as soon as possible to avoid disease. The victims of the tsunamis deserve the chance to grieve for everything they've lost without worrying about starving to death or not having clothes or a place to sleep. They deserve to mourn without worrying about not having food and medicines for their children. Get involved. If we don't help each other in a time of such urgent need--who will? This planet is ours. These people are ours.