Warmest Greetings,

:: Thursday, September 11, 2003 ::

September 11:

I couldn't listen to much of the ceremonies last year. I especially could only take a few minutes of the reading of the long list of names of people who died in the planes and towers. So many of them were heros. So many of them had just enough time to call their loved ones on cell phones to say goodbye.

For me, at last year's 1st anniversary of 9/11, I wasn't ready to spend my day remembering the shock. I wasn't ready to let the sadness creep back in because I knew it wouldn't take much of it to throw me into a grieving state. Though I lost nobody I knew, that I'm aware of, the event occurred less than 2 hours drive from my house. There's something about that closeness that makes it seem more real.

My parents evacuated the Harrisburg, PA area during the 3-Mile Island nuclear accident. I lived 2 hours away from them then and was in my early 20's. The newscasters were in near hysterics, scaring everyone in PA. One radio station in that area thought the nuclear melt-down had begun and announced that on the air, sending scores of people, including my parents and sister, out of their homes with whatever possessions they could carry. They headed to Michigan to be near relatives. My mother called me to say goodbye, and begged me to find safety. She and Dad hoped they'd find me someday.

You never forget moments like that.

This year I sat in silence with the radio on in my kitchen during the first moment of silence held in NYC. I watched my Golden Retriever puppy playing and teasing one of the cats. I listened as children of those who died in 9/11 read off the names of the dead. And again, I could only listen for a brief time and the sadness crept in. It would likely take over if I let it, so I turned off everything and decided to not listen to the radio or TV.

It occurred to me that a day like today is for the families and friends of those who gave their lives to save those who died, those who died in the towers and planes and those who survived the terrorist attacks that day. It's their day to mourn. It's their day to celebrate the memory of people they held dear. It's also a day America pays its respects and honors those who serve us, such as police officers and fire persons.

The rest of us have the job of continuing our day, with the knowledge that those in other parts of the world suffer days like our 9/11 every day. They live in terror every single day. They don't love their families and friends any less than we do here. Knowing this, I feel the best way to combat my own moments of grief is allowing and accepting that everyone must do what they need to do to find strength on days like today. Whether it's to work, stay home and curl up on the couch and let the tears come, walk the dog, or hold ceremonies as my kids are going to be doing in their schools today. It all has a purpose to someone.

Those of us who remain after tragic events have the hard part. We're still here. And a great majority of us still have tremendous love in our hearts. Enough to keep going when it seems as though unified peace is something humans will never be able to create.

Kim

Cre8pc .com - it means "Create Peace"
http://www.cre8pc.com/name.html

Cre8asiteForums welcomes your thoughts and personal expressions on 9/11.

:: posted by Kim Krause Berg on 9/11/2003 10:29:19 AM

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