I Remember ...

September 11, 2012

It's hard to believe that more than a decade has passed since the 9/11 attacks. Like so many of you, I remember the details of that day so vividly. It was such an unbelievably horrible day.

Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives that day. Three thousand people. That's 3,000 fathers, mothers, children, aunts, uncles, grandparents, civil servants. And 3,000 families left with sorrow and loss and grief.

It's just so hard to imagine HOW something like 9/11--or any major war/conflict/genocide--happens.

HOW and WHY do people, groups, nations ... go from being frustrated and angry to actually causing physical harm to those they are frustrated and angry with? (Yes, I'm ending the sentence with "with.")

It seems impossible.

It's something I don't relate to at all: that kind of anger and intolerance.

And yet, if I'm honest, the more I look at my own life, the more I realize that I don't always respond to situations/people with peace and compassion and tolerance. (Now, I don't cause physical harm to others or create a militia to support my ideas ... but, I'm certainly not helping my corner of the planet feel peace 100% of the time either.)

And so my thought today is this:

Peace, compassion and tolerance are feelings that have to be developed and practiced in our homes--with the people we live with and near--if we expect them to be practiced in the larger global society.

After all, aren't our families and neighborhoods just small-scale global communities?

So, my goal today, to honor those who lost their lives on 9/11, is to practice peace and tolerance and compassion with everyone I encounter today--to the best of my ability.

How are you honoring the victims of 9/11?

****

PS: Here are a few family photos from the last week here in Utah. Fall is definitely here--and we're loving the change in season.

PPS: It's funny for me to see these photos and realize how much of our life is "routine": feed the ducks/geese, learn, read, play, work, check on pumpkins ... repeat! (Please tell me your life is like that, too?)

Love birds/geese at the lake near our home.
(This is the same lake where we canoe and kayak.
It's a man-made lake , but still really amazing. We love it. It's walking distance from our home.)

Zu feeding one of the geese (she loves animals so much/no fear).

Okay, I know this is a goose, but we call him/her
"Dino Duck"--because he looks like a dinosaur/duck, don't you think?

Flashback pic: Jr. at trampoline-jumpy-place.

The kids did some clay projects this week ... and of course ducks were on the
list of "Things To Create."

And then there were clay reminders.

And clay volcanoes (the younger kids are learning about Mt. Vesuvius/Pompeii).

And clay rabbits.

Dave and Jay ran the Red Rock Relay Friday and Saturday.
Team of 12 run 128 miles over 2 days. (Dave and Jonah each ran 3 legs in the race--about 13 miles total.)