I found former president George W. Bush's choice of reading exceptionally poignant this morning. Particularly the following portion of Lincoln's famous letter to a grieving mother who had lost five sons in battle -
"I feel how weak and fruitless must be any words of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save."
How fruitless indeed. But far be it for me to say nothing at all in fear that people would not understand my deep sense of compassion for them.
So I will say this - A day like this reminds me more than any other of the vast importance of our shared humanity. We are one nation - one world. And we absolutely must lift each other up. Please do not allow yourself to get caught up in this hate which only breeds hate.
This photo stands out to me among the many from that tragic day. It puts a face to one of those names, and I think that's important.
Ten years ago I thought I understood the magnitude of what occurred. But I wasn't a mother then. Today, as I read the news and perused through all of the 9/11 photos online, I cried more than I had back then. Ky asked me why I was crying. I told him I was reading a very sad story...and I'd tell him all about it...one day.