Thankful!!!

Today, September 11th 2008, seven years after we were attacked on our own soil I can't help but think about all those people who woke up once again this morning with that "It wasn't just a bad nightmare, It really did happen!" feeling in their tummies!

I, along with so many others will never forget where I was that horrible morning when the first plane hit the tower. It was Tuesday morning and I was downstairs ironing my outfit for work while watching ESPN because Ed McCaffrey had received a broken leg the night before in the Monday Night Football game and I wanted to see disgusting the replay again. Will then came downstairs asking if I just saw "that". I replied yeah, it was really gross! He looked at me, then the tv and then said "No not McCaffrey's broken leg! On the TODAY Show they just showed a plane running into the World Trade Center!" The rest of that morning at home is a blur.

I do remember getting to school and many of my students were a bit on edge (as well as the rest of us). One student whose mother was a flight attendant was back east and they had not been able to get a hold of her before coming to school so he was mentally someplace else all day!

During the days and months afterwards I remember the kindness that people were showing for each other. And I remember thinking then as I do now...Why does it take such a horrible thing to have people treat one another the way we should treat each other ALL THE TIME! Strangers were opening doors for strangers, people were smiling and making eye contact with every person that they walked passed on the streets and the colors red, white and blue were EVERYWHERE!

It is extremely disappointing to me that only 7 years later things have gone "back to normal." Well, at least for some. Others are still affected by that day EVERY DAY of their lives and will be for THE REST of their lives. I believe that each of us needs to heal and go forward in life but that doesn't mean that we need to go "back" to the way things were. I bet those who were affected by the loss of family and close friends thank GOD each and everyday for those people in their lives.

So many of us get caught up in the rush of everyday life that sometimes we forget to take the time to be completely thankful for all that we have. And to remember no matter how bad you think you have it...there are people who are worse off than you...seek out those people who need an extra hand... and offer some kindness. It really doesn't hurt that badly to be a little "blue" (compassionate).