September 11, 2001

A few short hours from now, it will be the 9th anniversary of September 11th. I have been a mother for a little over 2 years, but this is the first year I have thought about September 11th from the perspective of a mother (I don't know why....it just struck me this year for some reason). This year it occurred to me just how very important it is that I teach my children about September 11th.


On September 11, 2001 I was in college and living at home. That particular semester I was taking Elementary Calculus, which was a big review for me since I had taken Calculus in high school. At any rate, I decided to skip class that morning. I was in the shower listening to the radio (I used to like to sing in the shower before I lived in an apartment where the walls were thin as paper!), when an announcement came on about a plane crashing into the World Trade Center. My mom was the only one home at this point, so I yelled down the stairs to tell her what happened. We turned on the TV and watched together as another plane crashed into the Pentagon. Then I had to go to class (because I was not doing well in biology).


The things I remember about that day and the days that followed are the fear for those that were trapped, the sadness for the families that lost loved ones, the tears for all of those hurting, the desire to have those you loved close to you, and the pride in our country and her people. On that day and the days that followed, we put aside trivial matters and focused on the things that mattered most.


The history of the world is blotted with many truly evil deeds: September 11th, Pearl Harbor, the Holocaust,...just to name a few from very recent history. Remembering these events and passing on that remembrance to our children is of up-most importance so that we never forget. You might think it is impossible to forget such dramatic images, but there are those who deny that the holocaust ever happened. When we allow ourselves to forget about the evil in the world, we become oblivious and invite it into our own homes. We must never let our guard down and always stand up for what is right no matter the cost.

You can view some pictures from the Ground Zero Museum at this blog.