Sunday Sharing

"Never forget."  

We hear those words every year on the anniversary of 9-11.  But yesterday in a conversation with my children, I realized Nate (who would have been 5 at the time) was the only one who actually had any memories of that day, and even those were vague.

Then Gabby joined us in the conversation.  She had no idea what we were talking about.  As we started explaining what happened on 9-11, she remembered hearing somewhere the story of Flight 93 that was heroically crashed into a Pennsylvania field.  She would have been an infant in India during the time of the attacks.

All of our children were alive at the time, but don't remember.

But they do remember this:

On the first anniversary of 9-11, this healing field was created near where we live as a memorial to those who lost their lives on 9-11.  Each flag represents a person who lost their lives that day.  Every year since then we visit this site, and this year we'll visit again.

Realizing my children didn't have any significant memories of that day made me thankful for traditions.  They do remember those.

They remember seeing the flags for the first time the first year they visited.  It was an impressive sight.

They remember the year Tim was interviewed by a newspaper reporter there, and they remember the tears in dad's eyes as he talked to the reporter about his experience at work on 9-11 (he works for the FAA), and the emotions of seeing the screens of airplanes go blank, and being on lockdown, unsure of when the threat would be over and he'd be able to return to his family.  They know the story, even if they don't remember it.

And Joie remembers the first time she visited.  Several years before she lost her family, they moved here to Utah, and that fall they joined us in our healing field tradition.  It's a great memory for all of us, and we treasure the pictures and memories.

Joie, Megan, Jeran, Nate, and baby Audrey

I remember being with their family that day and how Joie and Megan were playing and being silly.  Joie's dad wanted her to understand the significance of 9-11.  He took her hand and walked away from the group of cousins so he could explain this day to her.

Nick and Joie discussing 9-11

There have been other years it has seemed we're too busy to go, but we always fit it in.

Today Gabby has reminded me several times already that she wants to go see the flags.  She has been excited to see this place we're all talking about.  About an hour ago we were getting ready to walk out the door and a crazy wind and lightening storm hit.  We're hoping it blows over like it has the past few days.

As human beings we create traditions around most major events in our lives so we can "remember," and in the absence of experience, it is traditions that bring us to a remembrance of significant life events.  It is because of traditions that our children can "never forget" 9-11.