We watched the Golden Globes last night. Award shows are like catnip to me–the dresses, the upsets, the embarrassing drunken ramblings of celebrities who’ve had too much Moet. It’s perfection. Superfluous, irrelevant, gaudy, over-the-top perfection.

But this year, it all seemed a little lackluster. A little sad. And for good reason–every Chanel gown and Armani suit was adorned with a ribbon of support for the people of Haiti. Everyone from George Clooney to Sophia Loren seemed like they weren’t really having a good time. Their minds, like the rest of America’s, were elsewhere.

I am not a celebrity. I make no money, and use more of my own than I should, to write this blog. To all twelve of you who will read this today, I want to say thank you. You remind me everyday how lucky I am to be able to have silly hobbies, to amuse myself on a daily basis and to worry about how much garlic should go into my next meal and not about where it will come from.

I am so incredibly blessed to have a warm house with running water, a supportive husband who loves me unconditionally, and a daughter who makes me laugh and cry everyday.

If you have kids, you probably have been cringing at every televised newscast as I have. It seems like every scene is a child being pulled out of the rubble. An infant whose mom was buried. A starving band of orphans. My heart breaks and I feel like I should keep watching. Like if I can get through the newscast, I will be a better person or have proved myself strong in some twisted way. But mostly I feel helpless, sad, forlorn, and there’s nothing I can do but watch.

I know that donation ads are being thrown at you left and right. I’m not going to tell you where, when or how to donate to the cause. That’s your choice to do or not do. For Husband and I, it’s all we can do. We’ve chosen to help in the only way we know how (and, btw, if you work where he does, don’t forget to get it matched). We are not all Brangelina—able to donate millions, adopt refugee children, travel to promote non-profits. But we can do a small thing and hope that our $5 or $50 might bring a moment of solace, a drink of water, or a can of formula to someone in need.

If you’re sitting here reading this blog, you are as lucky as I am. Do what you can, when you can. Hug your kids. Kiss your spouse. Feel lucky. Because we all are, really. We’re here. Alive, safe, and blessed. Able to watch the Golden Globes and think about silly things like how drunk Julia Roberts made a total ass out of herself.

-RDG