God Bless Us On This Day

Where were you? I was at work. At the time I was working at a residence for adults with schizophrenia as a case manager and it was a little after 9:00 when my coworker came in and told us to turn on the television. That's when we saw the second tower fall. We can all remember where we were, what we thought, how we felt, maybe even what we wore that day, can't we? You can see it just as I do, I'm sure.

At the time I lived just outside of Manhattan. My friend's husband worked at the towers (luckily he missed his train and was safe despite being stuck in the city), we could see the smoke, and the dust choked us days later as we drove on the New Jersey Turnpike. My roommate and I ran out to Home Depot and bought a flag to hang outside our house. How ashamed I felt as we did...why hadn't we bought one earlier, just because we were proud of our country? And I remember feeling so grateful to the police officers and fire fighters who put others before themselves. We call them heroes for having helped on that day but we should teach our children that going into those professions is the first heroic action. They are not like other people. Like our soldiers, our country's police officers and fire fighters have something intrinsic that compels them to go forth and be brave every single day. I'm brave sometimes. They are brave all the time.

I hope I remember to teach my children this and to remind them to never take life, love, freedom, or family for granted. I pray that the children who grew up without their father or mother, the wife or husband who cried into the pillow, missing their partner and feeling so alone, the parents who feel the wound of losing their child burn again, and all of us who can remember where and what we were doing that day, find peace and hope this weekend.

Lastly, I hope on this day, after weeks of natural disasters and other tragedies, that you find yourself safe and in the company of those you love and who love you.

With love,
Jenny

Days of Chalk and Chocolate