Lesson From 9/11

I’ve been reading a lot of posts on Facebook about where people were on 9/11 and the lesson they have learned from that event and how it shaped our collective consciousness. Of all the posts that I read today, the radio playing the emergency 911 calls from New York (like it was live, again) and the tears that ensued, there were two things that stuck out to me. The first was that Obama and Romney declared a truce for the day on political jabs. They pulled ads and didn’t hold rallies. This was maybe the first compassionate action from either of them, maybe ever? I wonder who was copying who?

The second was more profound. It was a quote from Sandy Dahl, the wife of Flight 93 pilot Jason Dahl, and she said this:

“If we learn nothing else from this tragedy, we learn that life is short and there is no time for hate.”

I wonder how she was feeling when she made this statement. Was she saying it like a mantra, hoping that it would someday become true to her? Or did she really find a way to banish hatred from what must have been her broken heart? Either way, I applaud her strength of character and attempt to find a splinter of truth from a horrific loss.

We celebrated our lives, family and freedoms today by ordering Thai/Chinese takeout and heading over to the park for some playtime. Our great friend Danny showed up and made Porter’s night. Life is short and I’m so grateful to be able to celebrate every single day.