As many people know, I cry. Easily. It’s not something I am proud of as it often makes me feel like a big, walking, wet-faced lady-cliché. But I can’t help it.

I was proud, however, to have gotten through our entire wedding planning without one bride-gene fueled trip down crazy lane. There were no hysterics, no bridezilla rearing her ugly tiara-adorned head. Nothing of the sort.

Well, almost nothing.

There was one notable emotional meltdown that, interestingly enough, had nothing to do with my impending nuptials. So it’s the week before our wedding, but more significantly, it’s the weekend after the earthquake that rocked northeast Japan, spurring a devastating tsunami. I was pouring over the news. Horrific story after horrific story. Terrifying image after terrifying image. It was, and still is, tragic beyond belief. And then, as one is wont to do, I quickly started researching where to donate money. Due to my heightened emotional state, this turned out to be surprisingly frustrating. During previous world disasters I have given to the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders. Both good options. However, this was Japan. You don’t have to look too far down my family tree to find relatives who live or have lived in Japan. More than ever, I wanted my money to matter.

So as I’m frantically culling through various websites, I hear Jerome curse from the bathroom. Loudly. I ask, “Are you okay?” Based on the colorful expletives I was pretty sure he injured himself. But instead, Jerome tells me that he dropped the toothpaste cap down the sink and can’t retrieve it. The guy who doesn’t often get frustrated got frustrated. Really frustrated. In the way that only a toothpaste cap down the sink will do. However, unbeknownst to him, I was in another world. So when I asked for input on where we should donate money, his response was to cuss once more and say, “And now I shoved it down even further!”

In no way am I implying that Jerome is an insensitive cad. But for anyone who has gotten overly irritated due to locking your keys in the car or has had to deal with a mind-numbingly slow Internet connection knows, it’s surprisingly easy to get caught up in the minutiae of everyday life. But I’ll tell you what, the quickest way to bring someone out of that head space is to start crying hysterically and shout, “Who cares about a fucking toothpaste cap?!” Which is exactly what I did. Annnnd scene.

As for where I donated money, it turns out, my cousin has been taking donations for relief work he’s conducting in Japan. He personally delivers 100 percent of the donated money and 100 percent of the proceeds of his T-shirt sales to the people in Japan who need it the most. In his first two missions he dropped off over $20,000 in supplies. Mission three starts on Monday. And that’s how I chose to make my money matter. Thanks, Kirby!

To donate, click here (and scroll down for donation information in English. And for those of you who, like me, can’t read Japanese, here is a news story on what Kirby’s been up to: http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/14495244/hawaii-man-makes-2nd-trip-into-disaster-zone.

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Tags: a writer's life, doctors without borders, japan, japan earthquake, japan tsunami, red cross, shannon goss

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