About a year ago, a new cell phone tower was erected not too far from my home. From it flies a very large American flag, that I can see each morning when Ginger and I go for a walk. And every morning when I see it, I say thank you to God for bringing us to this wonderful town full of friendly people and good fortune. The flag is a welcome sight each morning against the always gorgeous sunrise.
This morning Ginger and I took a different route on our walk. With nothing special on our agenda for today, I paid little attention to the landscape around me. Frankly, I wasn't even aware of what day of the week it was. Dates have become more difficult to remember as time passes on. I still have trouble believing it's already September. Where does the time go? After breakfast I got in my car to run an errand. As I turned the corner, I could see the cell phone tower flag at half mast. I gasped. Today is 9/11.
I will never forget that time in our country's history. For me, I was 3000 miles away from home on a business trip. Only expecting to be away for 3 days, the trip stretched out to 10. I watched TV from my hotel room, tears streaming down my face. Calls home were hard to make, the lines jammed more often than not. I found myself stuck in a strange place, longing to wrap my arms around Richard so we could grieve together. That was not to be.
Even though I was far from home, I was not alone. During that time no one was a stranger to me, nor I to them. People I barely knew, welcomed me to their homes, invited me to dinner, took me to the movies. Everyone sympathized with my desire to be home and without hesitation opened their hearts to me. Their kindness lives on, to this day, inside me.
So after my errand, I made a detour to the local firehouse. Outside is a memorial which contains a steel beam from the World Trade Center. I stopped there to say a prayer for the past, the present and the future. May we never forget that we are all Americans, strong and steadfast in our beliefs and together we can fill the world with love and hope. I prayed for all the people whose path I crossed during those dark days and I thanked God for my many blessings. On this solemn day, I can gladly say I'm grateful to be an American.
This morning Ginger and I took a different route on our walk. With nothing special on our agenda for today, I paid little attention to the landscape around me. Frankly, I wasn't even aware of what day of the week it was. Dates have become more difficult to remember as time passes on. I still have trouble believing it's already September. Where does the time go? After breakfast I got in my car to run an errand. As I turned the corner, I could see the cell phone tower flag at half mast. I gasped. Today is 9/11.
I will never forget that time in our country's history. For me, I was 3000 miles away from home on a business trip. Only expecting to be away for 3 days, the trip stretched out to 10. I watched TV from my hotel room, tears streaming down my face. Calls home were hard to make, the lines jammed more often than not. I found myself stuck in a strange place, longing to wrap my arms around Richard so we could grieve together. That was not to be.
Even though I was far from home, I was not alone. During that time no one was a stranger to me, nor I to them. People I barely knew, welcomed me to their homes, invited me to dinner, took me to the movies. Everyone sympathized with my desire to be home and without hesitation opened their hearts to me. Their kindness lives on, to this day, inside me.
So after my errand, I made a detour to the local firehouse. Outside is a memorial which contains a steel beam from the World Trade Center. I stopped there to say a prayer for the past, the present and the future. May we never forget that we are all Americans, strong and steadfast in our beliefs and together we can fill the world with love and hope. I prayed for all the people whose path I crossed during those dark days and I thanked God for my many blessings. On this solemn day, I can gladly say I'm grateful to be an American.
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