9/11....

Like most other Americans I remember what I was doing at the exact moment that time stopped as we had come to know it....like the day JFK was assassinated, and Challenger exploded... I recall only to vividly those memories are carved into my very being - marble memories. This morning during the 15 minutes that I had access to the news I sat and listened to GMA for a few moments and was instantly in tears...I can not even begin to imagine what the survivors are feeling. So much loss, senseless loss and then I saw Rumsfeld and Cheney sitting at memorial for the Pentagon and was instantly angered by the sight of them.

9/11 and all that it stands for and we as a nation are still so smug and self righteous. Our leaders believing that somehow we should be immuned to terrorist bombings, war and the hatred of other countries. Many, many countries suffer from civil war, hunger, conflict and or those dictatorships and have being doing so for years. We have just been blessed that our nation has been relatively free of external strife or attack. Until the new millenium....we were all so excited about the new century. Hindsight is always 20/20.

Someone sent me this - keep it alive by copying it and emailing it to 10 others:

IF I KNEW If I knew it would be the last time
That I'd see you fall asleep,I would tuck you in more tightlyand pray the Lord, your soul to keep.
If I knew it would be the last timethat I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kissand call you back for one more
If I knew it would be the last timeI'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would video tape each action and word,so I could play them back day after day.

If I knew it would be the last time,! I could spare an extra minuteto stop and say "I love you,
"instead of assuming you would KNOW I do.
If I knew it would be the last timeI would be there to share your day, Well I'm sure you'll have so many more,so I can let just this one slip away.
For surel y there's always tomorrowto make up for an oversight,and we always get a second chanceto make everything just right.
There will l always be another dayto say "I love you,
"And certainly there's another chanceto say our "Anything I can do?
"But just in case I might be wrong,and today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love youand I hope we never forget.
Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance you get to hold your loved one tight.
So if you're waiting for tomorrow,why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,you'll surely regret the day,
That you didn! 't take that extra timefor a smile, a hug, or a kissand you were too busy to grant someone, what turned out to be their one last wish.
So hold your loved ones close today,and whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them and that you'll always hold them dear
Take time to say "I'm sorry,"
"Please forgive me,"
"Thank you," or "It's okay."
And if tomorrow never comes,you'll have no regrets about today.


Let us not forget what non-acceptance of others cultural, religious or national beliefs can do over time, the images of the towers will not permit that to happen I am afraid.

Although I did not know anyone personally - I will not be able to watch any reports or stories without tears of sorrow. Five years later and I am still a puddle. God Bless...