Remembrances

Yesterday was full of tears, patriotism, sadness and hope.  9-11 for most of us was spend with in some kind of service, whether it was watching television and seeing the official memorial service from the Ground Zero Memorial, a special service at church, or a city service.  The day was emotional for all of us who remembered where we were, what we were doing, and how we felt when our country was attacked by terrorists.

I was at work when the President of our company came on the paging system and told us what was going on.  We had a stunned moment of silence as it began to sink in what was happening.  How it was hard to fathom that someone or something attacked our country in this horrific way.  I personally couldn't wait to get home and see the television, to hold my kids, and to be reassured that there was nothing else going on.

At noon, my youngest was released from school and I met him at home.  He went to play, and I watched television.  I am glad that at the time my children were very young and didn't understand all that was going on.  Now, though, we have a generation of kids who doesn't understand the solemnness of the day, the rush of emotions most of us get when we think about what transpired, and the changes that came because of it.

Kids from all over the country does not understand what the big deal is.  It's a shame that we all can't tell them our stories, our personal tributes, and how historical those events of that day were.  When my daughter's eighth grade class went on their class trip to Washington D.C. a few years ago, my father and I went with them as chaperone's, as we passed through Pennsylvania, close to where Flight 93 went down, my dad got on the bus microphone and talked to the kids a few minutes about that sight and the Memorial that was being built there.  Though we didn't see it, those kids were respectful and listened.

Today, as we go back to the grind of our daily lives, a lot of us are still thinking about that day ten years ago.  I hope that we can instill in future generations the importance of remembering the past and learning from it.  I know that I want to try.


Deuteronomy 8:2


Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.