Thursday, September 11, 2008
In Commemoration of a Historic Day
As you all know very well, today marks the anniversary of a very tragic day in U.S. history--the attack on the United States on the World Trade Centers, the Pentagon, and in Pennsylvania.
What strikes me as particularly tragic about the attacks, aside from the magnitude, is that they were so unexpected. There was no warning. Wives kissed their husbands goodbye that morning not knowing that would be the last kiss they shared. Children hugged their mothers not knowing that they would never again be comforted by their mother's embrace. Perhaps because of the unexpected nature of these attacks, the tragedy left an open wound in the American psyche.
There is a saying that became popular immediately post-9/11 - Let us not forget. I don't think we've forgotten that tragic day, however, like other milestone days in history, as time goes by we become desensitized to the strong emotions attached to the day. We remember that it was a sad day, we remember where we were and what we were doing when we first heard the news. It is a memory and an anecdote.
This morning I spoke to my daughters about the significance of today. I explained to them, in terms they would understand, what happened seven years ago, what my life was like back then, and how I felt and now feel about the events of the day. In response they asked me two questions that I feel compelled to share with all of you. The first thing they asked me was if I hate the people who "did the bad things." That was a difficult question. I do not believe in my heart that I hate anybody, however, I also do not know if I can, like the Amish did with the man who attacked and killed their innocent children, forgive these evil perpetrators. Forgiveness is an act of love and I had to remember that God commands us, first and foremost to love one another. That mandate is the foundation upon which the ten commandments are built. Even as I type this note to you I am hesitant to say that I forgive Osama Bin-Laden, who still promotes a culture of terror and hatred. I am reluctant to say that I forgive the men who hijacked those flights. God forgive me, but I am just not ready to do that yet.
The second question they asked me is why I would want to remember such a horrible day. I smiled when they asked that because I have always been a believer that history is not factual. It is written in the hearts and minds of those who lived it and in the interpretations of those who study it. So I told them that September 11th, to me, was a reminder of some very important things. First and foremost, to those you love, let them know every day how much you love them, how precious they are to you. My mother said that my grandmother used to tell her, "I want to smell my roses while I am still alive." Celebrate people in the here and now. As Americans, we have so much to be thankful for. I have so much to be thankful for. I worship an AWESOME God who loved me so much that He sent His only begotten son to die for my sins. I have a family who loves and cherishes me and tells me how much they love me every chance they get. I have a home in which to live, food to eat, clothes to wear, clean water to drink. And I have the opportunity, today, to tell my friends and family how special they are to me.
So that is the point of this long note today. To implore you to honor the people who perished this day seven years ago, by living your lives to the fullest, never taking for granted a single moment. Tell the people you love that you love them today. Following my own advice, I would like to say that I love all of you.
God bless and take care.
What strikes me as particularly tragic about the attacks, aside from the magnitude, is that they were so unexpected. There was no warning. Wives kissed their husbands goodbye that morning not knowing that would be the last kiss they shared. Children hugged their mothers not knowing that they would never again be comforted by their mother's embrace. Perhaps because of the unexpected nature of these attacks, the tragedy left an open wound in the American psyche.
There is a saying that became popular immediately post-9/11 - Let us not forget. I don't think we've forgotten that tragic day, however, like other milestone days in history, as time goes by we become desensitized to the strong emotions attached to the day. We remember that it was a sad day, we remember where we were and what we were doing when we first heard the news. It is a memory and an anecdote.
This morning I spoke to my daughters about the significance of today. I explained to them, in terms they would understand, what happened seven years ago, what my life was like back then, and how I felt and now feel about the events of the day. In response they asked me two questions that I feel compelled to share with all of you. The first thing they asked me was if I hate the people who "did the bad things." That was a difficult question. I do not believe in my heart that I hate anybody, however, I also do not know if I can, like the Amish did with the man who attacked and killed their innocent children, forgive these evil perpetrators. Forgiveness is an act of love and I had to remember that God commands us, first and foremost to love one another. That mandate is the foundation upon which the ten commandments are built. Even as I type this note to you I am hesitant to say that I forgive Osama Bin-Laden, who still promotes a culture of terror and hatred. I am reluctant to say that I forgive the men who hijacked those flights. God forgive me, but I am just not ready to do that yet.
The second question they asked me is why I would want to remember such a horrible day. I smiled when they asked that because I have always been a believer that history is not factual. It is written in the hearts and minds of those who lived it and in the interpretations of those who study it. So I told them that September 11th, to me, was a reminder of some very important things. First and foremost, to those you love, let them know every day how much you love them, how precious they are to you. My mother said that my grandmother used to tell her, "I want to smell my roses while I am still alive." Celebrate people in the here and now. As Americans, we have so much to be thankful for. I have so much to be thankful for. I worship an AWESOME God who loved me so much that He sent His only begotten son to die for my sins. I have a family who loves and cherishes me and tells me how much they love me every chance they get. I have a home in which to live, food to eat, clothes to wear, clean water to drink. And I have the opportunity, today, to tell my friends and family how special they are to me.
So that is the point of this long note today. To implore you to honor the people who perished this day seven years ago, by living your lives to the fullest, never taking for granted a single moment. Tell the people you love that you love them today. Following my own advice, I would like to say that I love all of you.
God bless and take care.
# posted by Bariatric Foodie @ 7:27 AM 
