Reflections

Twelve years ago today, we were all stunned by the attack on the twin towers in New York City. Many of us watched in horror as the events unfolded. Hour after hour our hearts were wrenched with fright, sadness, and worry. I do not want to jump on the bandwagon and wave an American Flag and pose as if my world was dramatically affected by the terrorist attacks. Other than the small inconveniences and the need to stay tuned into the news, my life went on as usual, except for, disbelieve, worry and sadness.

Even today my heart reflects on the moment I saw the towers hit. For some reason that morning I had the television on as I cleaned my house. Normally, I would avoid morning television, but that day I had turned it on and saw the horrific events unfold one right after the other. I remember calling my Mom to make sure she was okay and telling her I loved her. I talked to my neighbor and waffled back and forth with her about whether or not to pick up our children from school. Somehow it felt like we needed to gather our loved ones together and hang onto them. Threads of our normal were slipping away and holding our children seemed like a way to keep everything as it had been before that morning. Today, twelve years later I still remember every detail of that day.

I cannot imagine that life will not stop for a moment for each of us today. Every single American learned that we are vulnerable that morning twelve years ago. We all learned that our lives are fragile and precious and easily lost when we least expect it. We also learned that strong spirit and belief in the good in others can heal. We learned that hard things help us change and that sadness turns into strength. Mainly we learned that life changes on a dime and small inconveniences are nothing. Waiting in a line, stuck in traffic and even running out of milk are nothing when you know that tonight, you can hug the ones you love. Today is a good day to say an extra I love you and take a moment or two to remember those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.