“I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy.” Unknown possibly Jessica Dovey
“Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” – Martin Luther King, Jr
Well that announcement last night sure stirred up a lot of memories and feelings.
September 11, 2001
The phone rang. I watched my mother talking and prepared myself to hear that someone had died. Who could have imagined? We didn’t have a TV where we were so we didn’t get the barrage of instant images. All we could do is listen to the phoned reports and wonder.What stuck me about that day was the change. The sky was crystal blue, the Adirondack water still sparkled with the sun, the mountains still held in the lake on all sides. What had changed was me. I felt that someone had knocked a hole in my body or head. That there was a gap between the me of a few minutes before and the me now. I looked at the others and they seemed to have the same problem putting themselves into this new existence.
I’ve used simple images to portray that turning point where the innocent happiness changed on a moment in time. I’ve left a suggestion that this will continue to evolve. All grief becomes tempered over time but how long before the memory of that moment is softened?
And how long before the memory is softened? Apparently longer than ten years.
Yes the memories flooded in and the tears came the other day. I still feel wounded inside. This new page has not relieved the pain for all those lives lost 9/11/01. Time heals some wounds but these are still deep and fresh. God bless all the families of those lost.