Live Another Day

I still remember like it was yesterday. Waking up to a phone call: my friend's boyfriend calling to tell us to turn on the news. My friend and I were visiting family of mine in Canada. I sat in shocked silence as the pictures rolled across the TV screen. Pictures that I couldn't believe were real. I didn't understand what was happening. And when I did all I could do was cry. I think I cried for 3 days straight - well trying not to show it but tears kept escaping. It felt so ... wrong being in a different country when my Country, my home was under such horrible attack. I just wanted to get home. I just wanted to rewind and say it never happened. So many emotions. So much anger. I was angry at people who would throw away God's greatest creation: human life. I was even angry at my our Country for making enemies. I wanted in those moments to take their place. I wanted to give my life so that someone else could live.

But, life went on. And today I sat with my wonderful family all around me - celebrating the soon to be birth of a new little life. A little boy. I watched my brother and his beautiful wife unwrap gifts .. a soft blanket to welcome their baby into the world. Cozy jammies to put him into. A stroller to take walks with this little baby boy. Life does go on. New like is around us every day - and we have the choice to live in stunned silenece ignoring those blessings, or we can choose to enjoy and believe that there is still beauty even in a world that has endured so much that is ugly and horrible. The birth of each baby is a reminder to me that God does still smile down on this earth. That He still loves us, and that life does go on. In hearing stories of many of those who died in the attacks we remember today, I believe that they would agree with what I am saying. Not to forget the memory of their lives, not to forget the sober events of our past .. but never to allow the terror of what happened blind us to the beauty that still exists. In allowing the memory of this day to shape up into better people, more loving, more humble, more thankful for every moment we have. If we don't - then aren't we allowing the terrorists to win?

I guess this is a lesson for those of us with physical pain or ailments. Sometimes we are faced with the feeling that going on is impossible. That even death would be better or easier than life. We don't want to live in a world that hurts us constantly. We don't want to live in a body that hurts us constantly. But if we can remember that life goes on, that God still smiles down on His creation; well, maybe we can find the strength to wake up tomorrow and live another day.