Past the Tragedy: A Parents Perspective

     September 11th has been a solemn day in our house, my husband was very affected by the tragedy, he knew people that passed on that tragic day 13 years ago. This is the first year that it hasn't weighed heavily on him. Time heals all wounds, or so they say. This is one wound that while we want to heal, we also don't want to forget.
     Even though I was affected as well, I did not know anyone personally that was directly affected. My family also tried to keep the day a happy one, as it is also my sisters birthday. So as our family still recognized and remembered the event it wasn't at the forefront of our life. My husband on the other hand, you could see the day weigh heavily on him as he remembered the lives lost and the journey that led him to join the Navy. I often feel helpless as the day approaches every year, although each year has become a little easier. So now here's the question how do we pass on this tragedy to Dakota? Not as a tragedy but more as a lesson in life and history.

     This morning I saw a post on a facebook community page, where it was asked why all the flags were at half mast? This saddened me. A day that seemed to bring the country together is becoming a forgotten memory. How do we keep this memory alive? As I look back, what I remember is how everyone banded together. People all of a sudden started talking about God, faith, family, friends, and America. There was a spirit that was created despite the tragedy. As I am writing this the Toby Keith song pops into my head, Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue or The Angry American, if you haven't heard it, you should. So why is it that as years pass, we no longer hold that spirit, there's less talk about God, faith, family, friends, and America. In fact it seems that America has become split and people are more interested in proving their opinion right than banding together.

     So what do we teach Dakota about this day in history? We teach her to remember that these lives lost are worth remembering. We share with her that while this was a tragedy, it brought so many people together, and it created a spirit that I haven't witnessed since. We teach her that love and respect is everything, as well as forgiveness, and that there's a time to defend the gifts we are given. We teach her that God, faith, family, friends, and our country aren't just important during tragedy but everyday. As we sit here and try to come up with a way that we could simply explain what unfolded that day, we aren't sure how we will share the actual event with her. We do know that we need to share it with her, among other holidays such as the 4th of July, Pearl Harbor Day, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day. We really want to strive to instill some traditions that will keep the memory alive, not focused on the tragedy, but on the lives of those we have lost, as no one's life should be forgotten. We also want to create a strength in her to not fear, but to stand up for God, faith, family, friends, and our country.