Hope

Five years.

No, it can't be . . .has it been that long since it happened? Wow.

I was really taken by surprise a few weeks ago when I began to see the references to this year's 9/11 anniversary. I knew it had been a while, but if someone had asked me how long ago it took place, my initial thought would be, two maybe three years ago . . .? It was so other and defining that it inhabits a very recent place in my mind. The only other event that has affected me as much was the Northridge Earthquake of 1994. Incredibly scary, but so different. One was an act of nature, and what took place on 9/11 was concocted, planned and carried out by men. Not just done by man, but specifically planned to target fellow man, and to bring about tremendous amounts of pain and suffering.

Five years ago today, I was actually sleeping-in. I had recently quit my job in hopes that we would be able to conceive a child. (Quiting the job would be a good stress-reducer). My sister's phone call was my alarm clock and after her inital hello the first thing she said to me was, "are you watching TV?". I was instantly shocked, horrified and completely saddened by the image on the screen. It's the one we probably all have etched in our brains - both towers have back smoke pouring out of them and a good portion of NYC is being engulfed by those ominous clouds. We had been attacked.

My adult mind had never even conceived that I would be reacting to an attack of that magnitude on American soil. In the midst of my grief, sadness and terror I immediately thought of Pearl Harbor. Then the rest of the day is blur of watching the news, understanding the full scale of what had been planned, and figuring out what to do next. Many phone calls were made to family and friends, just to touch base and hear the voice of loved ones.

My role as a mother had not even begun. In fact, in the weeks after it all happened I considered what kind of a world would a little one be brought into. Should I even consider having children if this type of thing (and worse) is what they might be facing? As it all happened, I did have the privilege of becoming a mom, and my little guy was brought into this world in the mid-morning hours of December 19, 2002. Even though 9/11/01 was the tremendous tragedy it was, hope was not extinguished. Not only did I have a child, but it is speculated that a bit of a baby boom happened in the months after. My son is actually part of a wave of children that were conceived within the 6 months after it happened. I also remember reading something about more folks deciding to tie the knot as well.

I'm sure my son's generation will face some sort of national tragedy in his lifetime - man-made or otherwise. The implication of "Never Forget" can be profound. Not only to never forget what happened, but that we will never forget how we handled the situation, and that, ultimately, hope prevailed. We faced, and continue to face, an enemy in terrorism that can strike at any time, any place and with civilians as the target. In light of the continued threat, we continue to live, to plan, to have faith in God, to dream and to hope. The legacy to our children will be that we continued to raise the next generation and to prepare them for whatever the future might hold.