Reflections on a Post 9/11 World...

Days like today are full of so many emotions... as I sat and thought about what today meant... about what they will teach our children in school about this day and what we as children need to teach our children about this day.... so many thoughts and emotions have ranged my mind... I would imagine teaching my kids something a little like this....

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There are evil people in this world who seek to do evil things and hurt others and on this day in 2001 those men thought that they had won. They came to kill and destroy, to hurt and to scare, and they came to knock the USA down. Those evil men came and they killed nearly 3,000 people on that day with four different planes in DC, NYC, and in Pennsylvania. They did scare us and hurt us that day, they did kill that day, and they thought that knocked us down too.. and they celebrated because of it. But in the MOMENTS following each of those attacks, not just the days, weeks, and years, but in the very seconds that followed those attacks we arose stronger. You see on that day they did come and they did hurt us, but they didn't knock us down and leave us there. Heroes ran into each of those buildings to save people, heroes fought back on flight 93 and crashed a plane into a field that was headed for a building in DC, and HEROES stepped up to join the military and serve our country because of the very events that took place that day. Those men may have hurt us and tripped us, but they did NOT knock the US down and keep it there. They did not BREAK US that day. They created even more patriotism, they created even more thankfulness, they created even more memories. We BONDED across the whole nation because of the events that took place early in the morning on September 11, 2001, events that rocked this nation and shook us to the very core were also events that have shaped this nation and this military in a way that can't be explained and events that will never, ever be forgotten.

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Not only today, but every single day I will never forget the things that took place that dreadful morning. I will never forget the way that it changed this world. But more than anything I choose to acknowledge the acts of valor and patriotism, the heroes, the people who ran into falling buildings, the people who searched rubble for days for survivors, the men and women who were forever changed this day and knew that because of THIS they would defend their country. I chose to HONOR every single person lost this day, and the days and years following as they defended our country in two wars.

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Yes, this is an infamous day.... but it's also the day some of us realized for the first time how truly strong this nation and the people who defend it are.3,000 people left home that morning never to return home. Their family and friends lives forever changed in an instant because of the acts of a group of hateful evil people... Let us not focus on those men on these days because then they would be winning... let us focus on the heroes, on the survivors -- on being thankful for the people who DID come home those days, on the families of the lost, let us always honor those who sacrificed. Let us concentrate on the people who step up every single day to protect this country every day from anything like this ever happening again.

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It's days like today that living in the Nation's Capitol make such a huge impact on me. Seeing the names of 9 people who lived right in my back yard and didn't make it home that day. Hearing the stories of countless new friends who's dads, husbands, brothers, moms, friends, etc were in those buildings, them sharing sounds and smells and feelings anyone in the surrounding area experienced as the planes hit, the feelings when their loved ones walked through the door that night.... they don't go unnoticed in other parts of the country because truly the whole nation grieves this day, but living here they become SO real, SO vivid. Tears definitely flowed as I listened to and read this stories and felt immediate pain, immediate joy and immediate PRIDE for these people and for this country. It's a special day to live in the DC area.

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It's also a day we see the WHOLE WORLD come together to support the United States of America. It's a day they we see posts from literally all over the world. We see pictures of countries supporting us, and reminding us that they watched in horror that morning with us. That they mourn with us. That they will never, ever forget either. And that is something to celebrate.

These thoughts... these emotions... these memories... These are the things I want to share with my kids. Evil does exist in this world, evil does attempt victory, but evil never ever wins and for that on this day I am thankful.