9/11 Reflections

Where were you when . . .

It's a question that's been asked many times this week with the 10th Anniversary of 9/11 on Sunday.

I can remember vividly where I was, and what I was doing. I was at home taking care of a then 10-month old Miss O. Her little bro A was merely a peanut growing inside me as we learned we were having a second child just the week before. As I watched the events unfold on TV, I could not help but wonder how we would we raise our babies and keep them safe in such a terrifying, broken world.

Fast forward 10 years. Our children our thriving and growing, and now beginning to understand the enormity of 9/11. So this weekend, we watched some media coverage of the events, and talked about what happened a decade ago.

Here are some highlights:

2. An excellent documentary: We watched the History Channel's "Voices From Inside the Towers, a film documenting dozens of harrowing, heartbreaking stories of love and loss on 9/11." This program featured recorded phone calls from people inside the buildings as they contacted family members, friends, 911 dispatchers and local media as the events took place. T questioned whether or not we should let the kids watch this film, but ultimately it was a good idea. The program was very well done, thought-provoking, and touching.

3. A brief, but poignant conversation: "Could it happen again? Could it happen in Chicago? Those are the biggest questions Miss O had after viewing the program. We told her and A the truth. Yes, it could happen again. And yes, there are people in the world with beliefs different than our own who will harm others. We told them that our president, the government, the military, police officers, and firefighters are always working to keep us safe. "If you're scared" added T. "You can pray."

1. A round of applause: At the end of mass on Sunday morning, our priest asked all the military personnel, police officers, and firefighters in the congregation to stand and be recognized. Everyone enthusiastically applauded, then we concluded the service by singing "America the Beautiful."