Remember Remember the 11th of September

Today marks the 10 year anniversary of the September 11th bombings. There were many loved ones lost on that day and many more have been lost since then during the subsequent wars. For Americans, it's a day of reflection. I spent today praying and spending time with my family, while a friend of mine spent the morning honoring the firemen at their local fire station by bringing them donuts, apples and coffee. A small offering to put a smile on the faces of men who risk their lives so many times as they help others. Wasn't that a wonderful gesture?

What I have taken from this tragedy is that we never know when the end will come. Whether it's in a horrific tragedy like this one, or a car accident. We don't know how much time we have with our loved ones and should therefore live each day to the fullest. Life is short. Sometimes too short and we need to spend our time wisely while we are here.

No matter the grief that our country has suffered, our country's citizens are still filled with an amazing capacity for love and compassion. This act of hatred has not managed to take that away. Many countries have suffered similar acts of anger and hatred and I continue to see them rise above it. The world is filled with such suffering, but people's hearts continue to love. This is, in my opinion, the true miracle of humanity.

" The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places. But still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater." - J.R.R. Tolkien