I was listening to the radio this morning... just as I was seven years ago when I first heard of the tragedy that will forever overshadow this day.
We may all wonder what evil exists to cause persons to find this terrible act worthy of spiritual recompense.
We may also wonder if we've learned anything from it... or if it has shaped our life in some way.
I wouldn't wish disaster, pain or tragedy on anyone.
Yet, these very things shape us.
Do we decide to stoop to the level of those who wish us ill or do we find an elevated way to overcome?
This to me is the ultimate test of life... to us individually... as a community ... even as a nation.
A caller told the talk show host that she was attending a conference in the second tower. She and her husband escaped without their shoes (long story) also without their personal belongings such as money, credit cards, identification and cell phones.
Yet... when they walked, dazed and covered in ash- to the pay phones... each one had piles of coins. It's a small thing... but people found ways to help any way possible... from the large and demonstrative digging through the wreckage to the small act of making sure that people had loose change to call their loved ones.
She said that she, being foreign born, had never quite felt American... until that day when she discovered the little things that made us who we are.
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On a personal level- I feared for my sister. A pilot, she was in the air- flying for United. She was told to land at the nearest airport. After what seemed like hours, I discovered she was safe. I rejoiced for her safety but mourned for the many who lost their lives.
I still remember the quiet sky. Planes grounded, the sky was a splendid blue. Even silence can be felt and remembered.
To all who lost loved ones- I'm so sorry for your loss. To the rest of us- it is my hope that we may we find our better selves in the aftermath of this experience. I, for one, am proud of this nation's response to the event. It confirmed to me that, even in the depths of adversity, we are capable of noble and honorable things.
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