I Want to Remember THIS ~ a 9/11 Tribute

I walked across the lawn to our neighbor’s house to see if he had heard the news.

The sun was shining, the sky a gorgeous blue.

The most important memories of our lives often appear to us like this, images frozen like a freeze frame. 

For me, 9-11 was no exception.

Candles flickered on sidewalks throughout New Jersey neighborhoods as if to show those lost the way home. Together, we listened to the tears and silence, eerie silence. 

The brother of one of my husband’s closest friends had been in one of the Towers when the planes hit. We sat with his family through the night. His fiancée and I talked about intuition and how we can feel each other’s presence even when we are apart, especially those we love.

We did the only thing we knew how to do during such a new, changing time. We kept vigil and offered presence.  

Memories like these can haunt us. I try to remember, however, that our minds are capable of this magical freezing trick with the good stuff too.

Sometimes we just have to remember to ask. 

Like right now, as I write this in my favorite seat in our home, furry blanket on my lap, our puppy curled up beside me, the sun is equally as sunny, blue and beautiful as it was on that day 20 years ago. 

I take a breath and soak it all in. I hope my mind gets the message and remembers this moment too.

Over time, I believe traumatic freeze frames get replaced by the life wisdom they offered. It doesn’t happen overnight. It often takes decades. But eventually, something shifts.

The emotion is turned down, like the volume knob on a stereo. The wisdom part, on the other hand, gets cranked up. 

For me and 9-11, what’s been getting louder and louder over the years goes something like this:

Each moment is sacred. Moments of deep, authentic connection (whether with others or our own hearts) are what make this journey so worthwhile. And even when life seems most bleak, green grass can still feel wonderful beneath our feet.