Several of us have posted about where we were and what we were doing 10 years ago today. Others have posted that today is about remembering the people that died that day. Today is about far more than that.
Being the tenth anniversary, for some of us, marks the passing of time. There are several of us who had children that year. Y2K babies. For us, it marks the amount of time our child has been on this planet. Also, how our upbringing and experiences will be different than theirs. My generation had the Iranian hostage situation, the challenger and the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan. We had the Oklahoma Federal Building bombing. But, even that is only a foggy memory. We do not have a childhood memory of a foreign country attack us on our soil. Ask the people who remember Pearl Harbor as a child, I am sure they had a far different view of the world that the rest of us. And, the passing of that time is also a simple reminder that ten years has gone by. For some of us, a lot happened in the last 10 years that did not have anything to do with 9-11. But, any kind of monumental anniversary causes us to think about the passing of time.
And, for those of us who had or have loved ones who are firefighters and police officers, it is a time that we remember all of the officers who have fallen in the line of duty. If you could any of the men that died in uniform that day, they were doing their job. They didn’t have to be there. We should make a point to remember also the ones who died saving one person from a burning building. Their courage shouldn’t be diminished just because they died in one fire not another. Any rescue related public servant worth their salt would have been there would have if they could. Not saying we should not remember the ones that died. Rather saying while remembering, find one who is nearby, hug them and say thank you. Take some cookies to your local station. Make a quilt for a rescue victim. Take water to the station. Give them a smile. Do not complain when it takes a while for them to get there. (Especially if they are volunteer!)
I could go on about why today is important. Just remember that we need to balance our mourning with joy. Remember the patriotism that blossomed after that day? Remember out grandparents pride in their country? Where is yours? Are you wearing it proudly? Are you smiling? Do you remember that you are blessed to live in a country where you could spend this morning in a church of your choice without prosecution? Or, not go? (Remember, our forefathers started this country for this freedom!) Have you committed any random acts of kindness? Have you hugged anyone? Have you made a point to enjoy your family? Have you said hello to a stranger? And, have you remembered the families of other travesties? Take time to be thankful!!!!!
Take joy in the fact that people DID make it out of the buildings. I remember my brother calling me, saying he saw a high school friend on the news walking down a sidewalk. Sometimes knowing one person is alive can make all of the difference in the world. I also have a friend whose father who walked in front of the federal building in Oklahoma City everyday at the time that the bomb there went off. He happened to take that day off.
Balance your tears with joy. Then, share that joy.
I wanted to post this on Facebook. but, I know I probably ticked someone off somewhere, because they think I belittled or misssed someone. But, I just needed to get that off my chest. Thanks for listening.
No comments:
Post a Comment