Dear Mathilde:
On my way back from Saint Cloud, Minn., Sunday [Feb. 20], I had the fear of my life. The car I was in hit black ice going on an interstate. As a result, the car started fishtailing, and I saw the story of my life going through my head. It's not until I was back home in Superior that I realized how lucky we were. Ironically enough, it seems like you had the same adrenaline rush as me, though on a different scale. I opened Facebook and saw a post on your wall: "encore un seisme en nouvelle zelande ..." (another earthquake in New Zealand).
I read the news online and see that another earthquake hit Christchurch, New Zealand. Now, I know it is a couple of hundred miles away from your hometown of Masterton, but this most recent earthquake was deadly and powerful. Once again, social networks have shown the influence it has on people's life. I didn't know how to get a hold of you, and it was way too late to call mom and dad, so I had to be patient. Some people say patience is a virtue; I always thought it has limits. As time went by, I couldn't find anything related to Masterton, which made me assume you and your boyfriend were not affected. It's only when I got to hear from you that I could finally be at peace.
If I were to write a message to the creator of Facebook, I would ask him to improve the service a little bit, just so there are no misunderstandings. It just needs to provide more information on the situation, or the environment the person writes. For example, Facebook could have added a message saying: "Don't you guys worry about Mathilde, she is fine, the earthquake didn't hit Masterton." This simple message was enough to remind me how important you are to me. I can't thank the Internet enough for being there to see you, talk to you, but at the same time I wish it wasn't there at all.
I like to ask the people around the Superior and Duluth area how they feel about the situation in New Zealand. What can be done to help the people there? Many students would say that I shouldn't even care because the earthquake did not affect you, my only sister, who lives a world away from me. So I wonder, what if it had affected you? Would I be sitting here writing you a letter? I just need to know that people are actually doing something locally to help the Kiwis. Where do people donate, discuss, or act? If anybody knows, I hope they are reading this letter. It may seem weird to you Mathilde, but I would like to help out, maybe it will bring me closer to you, knowing I can help the earthquake victims of Christchurch. Remember, patience has its limits. I haven't seen you in two years and a half. For a few hours this week, I feared I would never see you again.
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Your loving brother,
Simon
Editor's note: Simon Rousset is a native of France and an international student at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. This is a letter to his sister who lives near Christchurch, New Zealand, the scene of an earthquake Feb. 22, which killed at least 75 people and left about 300 missing.
