Remembering...

On September 11, 2001 I was only twelve years old. When the bad news hit my small christan school, my mind was not mature enough to grasp the severity of the situation.

We were all called from our classrooms, into the santuary, where no more than the 100 student body, and teachers sat in the first few rows watching the television.

We were not doing our usual whispering, because although we were so young and naiive, we understood that something really bad was happening.

And before the media or government decided to take the footage off the television, for hours and days after that day, I sat in front of the television, watching those towers be hit, again..again..

The idea, that thousands of people were dying, and I was safe, made me feel guilty. I felt really sad, and my heart ached for all the little boys and girls who wouldnt see their daddys ever again. Or the mommys who would never see their husbands again.They never got to say goodbye

But again, I was so young, and so naiive, I was worried about it changing life as I knew it then. Like going to school, church, youth group, sleepovers, and all those things 12 year old girls live for.

I was blissfully unaware of world wars, forieng policy, and any political mumbo-jumbo.

The selfishness of my childish fears, are evenly weighed with my adult fears, which have changed.

in ten years, I have changed, I am a wife, a mother.. And having children, make certain fears more real.

Someday, when Austin is old enough to hear it, I want him to never forget, because remembering heros, and evil make living with it so much more important.

I want my children to see how history has affected us, and join together with their generation to make it better than ours is, or my parents were.

Five years ago, I was in high school, newly graduated from Young Americas Foundation, and ready to share with my student body the importance of remembering, we placed 3000 flags in the park, one for each victim and hero, we had a memorial service. It was great, we collected things to send to solider fighting for us in Iraq. It was beautiful.

I guess, the thing I took away from September 11 2001, that is still relevant to me, in my life.

1) never take life for granted.. Never..
2) there IS evil alive in the world, and the only way to overcome it, is with good!

and lastly, and most importantly, HEROS.
Men and women who died, FOR US, just doing their jobs.
It touches my heart, and soul to my inner most core.

It makes me feel connected to my country, and love it, even despite all its flaws..

And in the end.

I will never forget!

GOD BLESS AMERICA