Where were you?? What now?

Does it amaze anyone else reading here today that it is the ELEVENTH Anniversary of 9-11? It seems like just yesterday I was making a lunch for Thomas as he was going off to 6^th grade outdoor camp and clicked on the kitchen TV. It was surreal at the time…almost like what I was watching was something made up for TV ratings, or a what-if scenario. As the tragedy unfolded on live TV, we had to make a decision as parents. Were we forced, under huge pressure, to decide if we would send our child into the mountains of Colorado to enjoy Outdoor Ed or keep him where we knew he was close and (in our mind) safe.

The BEST decision we ever made was to send him to camp. The school district was excellent and off he went completely AWAY from any televisions or radios for the next 5 days. Our oldest is very connected to life and the world around him. Little did we know, God was providing us (and especially him ) a hedge of protection. YES, he eventually saw most of the coverage, but it wasn't live and it didn't seem as physically close when we could sit with him and explain…although when it came right down to it, we had NO explanation…that took awhile. How does any religion HATE so much that they want to physically harm thousands of innocent people. I have come to realize that radical Islam is just that…RADICAL! There is evil in the world, and there always will be.

I think it is important, especially as we age (yes, I am talking from experience) to educate our children and to keep the memory of that day alive. It was and IS a historical event that we as a country should NEVER forget. I must say, I didn't hear anything about terror in the speeches from the past couple of weeks. Let's face it, when we are 16 trillion in debt as a country, the priorities change. Like it or not, it is not front and center during this season of political junk. Maybe the weight is on us now. We must teach our children about religion (good, bad, and otherwise)…we must teach them history…and about being diligent with their safety. How many of us thought we would ever have to remove our shoes to go through security at an airport? If you think back, one of the big issues at that time was national security and how these pilots were able to train at American flight schools and go unnoticed. Isn't it amazing that we can vote in many places without an ID?, drive? but we can't go past the front desk at DIA without it? Where do we, as Americans, stand on the issues of border patrol? Is it being unkind to others (or in my case non-Christian) to say, "Wait a minute! You need to earn your right to be a citizen of the USA"…What would I need to do to become a citizen of Mexico for instance?? I would be shot dead for crossing a fence into that country. We are Land of the Free and Home of the Brave after-all…we gotta' let everyone in! (who is paying the bill is another blog)…

My question to you is what did you learn from 9/11 and how did our country change for the better? Did we change enough? Did we forget who and what really happened that day? I can guarantee that the families affected have not forgotten the pain they experienced that day. Let's encourage each other today … to speak to our kids at dinner tonight, to vote on November 6^th, and most of all to pray and thank God for this amazing country we live in! What now?

Coffee Talk Mom