Wow, talking about 9/11 with our boys wasn't something I was looking forward to. But, it was something I knew we needed to do, not only because they were hearing about it at school, but because a few weeks ago there was a news clip showing the WTC right after the first crash, and Jakob saw it and said, "WHOA! What happened?????" At that moment, I realized that my sweet boys had NO idea what happened on that day, and we needed to teach them about it.
On Sunday, our home teachers stopped by for a quick visit, and gave us a message from
D&C 136:30 which says, "
Fear not thine enemies, for they are in mine hands and I will do my pleasure with them."
I thought that a very fitting message for that day, when we were remembering the events of 9/11 and remembering the fear and vulnerability we felt about our nation being attacked. I very distinctly remember hearing President Bush say that we should not live in fear, that that is what the terrorists want, and that we needed to be united and stand strong as a nation and never allow something like this to happen again.
I remember crying a lot...in sadness over the innocent lives lost...children losing their parents...spouses losing their sweethearts...and for just the sheer evil that manifested itself that day. I remember dreading going to work, because at the time, I worked for Continental Airlines, and I didn't know if I'd be able to keep myself composed enough to talk to passengers and answer questions about flights.
Most of all, I remember the intense pride I felt in America, and in the closeness among my fellow Americans that I felt in the wake of 9/11. I loved seeing the American flag proudly flying EVERYWHERE. I loved feeling like we would eventually come out on top of all of this...that hope wasn't lost. Faith in America was renewed, and people everywhere were proud to show it.
For that reason, we decided to teach our boys about 9/11 for Family Home Evening last night. We made little posters that they drew pictures on, and then we went to visit the 9/11 Memorial in Fountain Valley. They were very reverent and somber, and sweet Jakob was very upset about all the kids who never knew their dads. I am thankful that we were able to talk about it with them, and to hopefully teach them about how important it is to remember those who were lost that day, and also the many heroes who died trying to save them.
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| The moon coming up over saddleback mountain was GORGEOUS last night! |
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| This monument was made possible by an Eagle Scout...and is truly a gift to our community. |
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| The moon with spooky clouds passing by...beautiful! |
It's hard to believe 10 years have gone by...but I am thankful and hopeful for the future, and happy to be raising my boys to be proud to be Americans!
