September 11

As I think back on September 11, 2001, I remember holding my first baby in my arms.  He was 7 months old.  I had been having a quiet morning at home, when I noticed my neighbor was home from work and I called to make sure she was okay.  She told me to turn on the television and when I did, I sat glued to the screen.  I could not undersatnd what was really happening!  I knew I could protect my baby, but I didn't know exactly how my husband was or what the rest of the day would hold.  I did reach my husband on the phone and felt relief when I heard his voice.  I held my sweet boy and hugged my husband when he came home.  I called my family and just needed to hear my mom's voice, too.  The entire nation grieved for weeks and months afterword and we grieved along with them.  

Fast forwarding to 2012, my son now stands just taller than me!  I cannot hold him to shelter him from the world.  However, because I teach my children at home, I am the one who was able to teach them about September 11, 2001, when I felt they were ready to hear about it.  I could tell them my story, tell them other stories, and point to how our country remained strong in the face of adversity.  I could tell them stories of how God worked through people to save others and how some of those lost died as heroes.  I cried last year when we heard the song for our history sentence about this tragic, monumental event in our nation's history and my children could see the raw emotions still rooted somewhere in their mother's heart.  My children understand that this act deeply effected our nation and now they also understand that our freedom has always come with a huge price. 

I pray for the families of other 11 year old children whose parents never came back home on September 11, 2001.  My own son is a reminder to me of just how much time has passed since that day... and how we must always honor the memory of this day in American history!