Friday 11 September

While today is supposed to be 'Fun Friday', it is difficult to feel that, as today is also a day to remember...

that day in 2001, when everything changed. Our nation was forever changed. No longer did we Americans feel perfectly safe from war-like attacks. On television, we had seen it in other countries; on the radio, we heard reports of it; and, from elder Americans, we had heard stories. Now it was our reality. Our home was vulnerable like any other.

I was cuddled-up asleep, with my husband (then boyfriend), and we had just returned from a vacation to Disneyland. The phone rang. We wondered who could be calling us at such an outrageously early hour (we were then living on the West Coast). It was a dear friend, calling to tell us to turn on the television. We were being attacked? Was it real? Was it a hoax, like the explosion of the Space Needle? Should we prepare for attacks of grander scale? What was happening? Was it a modern day reality of the movie "Red Dawn"? Might sound ridiculous to have thought of that movie, but it was a surreal moment, with unreal thoughts. Confusion. Reality. We watched as the second plane hit. We sat frozen, cold, glassy-eyed in front of the television. We called family and friends to wake them and inform them.

Remember 9/11/01. A day where lives were unfairly stolen, transformed, and scarred. Our nation was exposed to a fear that others live with daily. All over the world there are many who live in terror. They will live their entire lives not experiencing safety and comfort. They will die, having never known the freedom of safety.

While we grieve for those lost on 9/11, we should also give thanks for our freedom and safety. No. Our nation is not perfect. We remain young and in need of continued evolution. Yet, we do own a great potential for infinite freedom and basic safety.

Thank you to those who help protect our nation, to those who strive to better our nation, and to each and every one who remains faithful to the vows of freedom and safety for all.

Rest in peace, to those lost on 9/11. We are sorry for, and hurt by, the manner in which your lives were stolen.

Rest in peace, to all who die in ways cruel and unnatural, in the name of religion or politics.

Is it possible to enjoy today, while still suffering from the effects of 9/11? Should we try to enjoy today? Yes. Even though it is important to take time to remember, it is also important to value and enjoy every moment of every day we live. Each day should be lived with strength, faith, integrity, and the pursuit of justice and freedom.

Remember, but don't forget to live.