A Day of Reflection and Thanks

Hello friends.

I thought that this day should not be about pretty gardens, home decor, or creativity, but rather a day of reflection and thanks. We all remember where we were on that awful day 11 years ago. I remember that I was at work,  and we were all called into the conference room to watch something on TV. It seemed that a jet had accidentally crashed into one of the World Trade Center towers up in NY.  I was living and working in Florida at the time, but had grown up in New York not far from Manhattan, so I couldn't believe what had happened. I thought it must have been something like when the Empire State Building was hit by a plane many years before. We watched in horror as a second jet hit the other tower, thinking briefly that it was yet another accident, and what were the odds of that? As the truth unfolded, we accomplished little that day and worked at our jobs through a fog of shock.

Years before the events of 9/11, my Dad had worked in the City, watched those towers being built, and had worked in one of them for a period of time. I could not help but identify with those that on that morning watched their spouses going off to work and their children heading out for school, never realizing that this would be the last they would ever see them again. To this day, like so many of others, I cannot think of that time without a catch in my throat, a tear in my eye, and a loss of breath. It is the same feeling that I get when I am reminded of the Kennedy assassination, and the little boy that saluted his father as his casket went by.

I was, and still am, thankful for first responders, unsung heroes, American flags that fly everywhere, and living in a great nation that comes together when the need arises.

I hope that you and yours have peaceful day.

Sue