Better Yet, Remembering September 12th

Yesterday was a great day. Church, brief nap, ballgame with family and firemen, and then home with family.

I missed most of the media coverage of September 11th anniversary, though they were replaying some footage where we went to lunch. That was a good way to talk to the kids about it. They were 3 and 5 when it happened, so they only remember/ know what they have been told about it. I heard some people complain that there was too much media coverage/ dredging up the past. I'm glad I wasn't here to watch it. I can so easily get caught up.

One thing I heard on the radio last week that I do want us all to remember is September 12th. I heard a radio interview -- I think he was the contractor/ architect/ something to do with the memorial plaza being constructed at the site of the World Trade Centers. He said that the feeling they were trying to convey wasn't the awfulness and destruction of September 11, but how we felt on September 12.

He said something along the lines of "On September 12th, people volunteered to find survivors, they made sandwiches for rescue workers, they donated blood, and they flew their flags. We showed that it wasn't over, and that we were in this together."

Yes.

September 12. THAT is what I want to remember.

Because here's the deal: I frequently thank the Lord for tiny, minuscule things in my life: the ability to walk across the floor with no assistance or prosthetics, that my children, spouse, and myself are all healthy, not requiring regular medication and/or hospital visits, for providing SO much that we need and then some that we have clutter (and on and on...). However, I rarely thank Him for one HUGE thing: the roll of the cosmic lottery that had me born to two parents that a)wanted me and loved me b) still love each other and stayed married and c) live in a country where we are free to make fashion choices as heinous as skinny jeans when we have no business wearing them or Uggs with short shorts, and can post entire blogs, Facebook posts, and whathaveyous about how much we dislike, distrust, and don't care for our current leader.

And all of those fashion and political freedoms make us as a people occasionally an intolerable bunch to live with, but when the rubber meets the road, we are a scrappy people, resilient and strong. This isn't a "my country can beat up your country" post. This is a "I'm very thankful for where I live and the people that live here with me" post. To honor September 12 -- go do something! Volunteer -- give blood, donate to the Texas Wildfire Fund, help out at your local Meals on Wheels, be a Big Brother or Big Sister. Do one of the bazillions of things that makes us a working team in this country.

As for me, I am currently writing from my front porch, my puppy at my feet, deciding which of those things to do. What a great day, September 12.

Honoring the Memory of September 11, 2001

As I mentioned yesterday, I don't have much to add to all the amazing words that have been written about this day.

We all know where we were, what was going on. It was the most amazing, beautiful, clear crisp September morning ever. And then it was a mess and the whole world was wrong. My baby girl was 3 weeks into kindergarten -- and I desperately wanted her home with me.

I was stepping out of the shower trying to get my youngest off to pre-school and the phone was ringing. It was T, telling me to turn on the TV. The TV was on, but youngest was watching Barney or something and was NOT happy when I changed channels.

I sat on the end of my coffee table wrapped in a towel watching the news reports. When Rudy Guiliani gave a press report about how to pick up your kids from school, I wept, wondering how many kids wouldn't have anyone to come get them.

Eventually we learned that day was full of heroes. Some lived to tell the tale. Many did not. I told you yesterday about one, and today I will share many more with you.

Five years ago I wrote a memorial about Brian Bilcher, one of the first responders who lost their lives that day.

There was Rick Rescorla, whose foresight kept literally thousands from losing their lives that day.

Lt. Heather “Lucky” Penney  was given orders to bring down United flight 93, which eventually was crashed into a field in Pennsylvania thanks to heroics of some passengers. Lt. Penney had her F-16, but in a pre-9-11 era, she had no ammunition. She took off, preparing to use her plane as the missile to bring down the plane.

These are just the stories I know of right now. I have others floating around in my brain I wish I could tell you. So many heroes of that day.

Let me tell you how I get to celebrate this day, showing the terrorists that life goes on:

A friend is a captain for the fire department where we used to live. He got tickets (or was given -- I'm unclear) for first responders in that area for the Texas Rangers baseball game. Once they were all spoken for, he had a few left over and invited my family to join them. So, I will be attending a baseball game. Sitting amongst first responders. And I will probably cry at some point due to the normalcy of it all.

May you have a grand day of normalcy.

Wells Crowther -- An Ordinary Hero

I am LOVING the commitment to blog everyday.

It has reminded me that I actually DO have things to say. This 10th anniversary of September 11th has certainly provided a flood of writing material, but I'm not sure I have anything worthwhile to add to the dialog. Memories and moments and emotions that we all had have surfaced again, but it's precisely the same memories, moments, and emotions you had -- only with different scenery maybe. Besides that, this weekend is CHOCK FULL-O-FUN and I don't have much time for writing. I will fill you in on a LOT of things next week. Pinky promise?

Today I have run 4 miles, worked in the yard, pedicured, yoga-ed, and just got out of the shower because our family is on our way to a tailgate party and football game for Troy's work (here, it's evidently called "boulevarding" -- for the love). So. Must run. But first I want to share a video with you. It's lengthy, but it's just one story out of dozens of 9-11-01 of everyday people turned heroes.