And they succeeded

Can't help but feel reflective today.

Each and every one of us can have a flashback of 9-11 in a millisecond.  I was headed to work at the university's preschool.  Not yet being a parent myself, I watched helplessly as mothers and fathers rushed in to carry their babies home.  The terror in their eyes surpassed that in mine.

For some, that day brought memories of Pearl Harbor, JFK, Martin Luther King, Jr., John Lennon.  For all, that day came fresh on the heels of wounds not even begun to mend...from Columbine...from Oklahoma City.

The terrorists announced they wanted to change the face of America.

And they succeeded.

Ten years later, we are prouder than we have been in decades to stand shoulder to shoulder, neighbor to neighbor, and say, "Yes, we are Americans."

Ten years later, there are displays of Red, White, and Blue that are not merely seasonal decoration, they are permanent markings of patriotism.

Ten years later, we hold in our hearts a collective strength that continues to pray for peace.

Ten years later...

Today, I sat at the kitchen table with my 6 year old son.  Together, we made part of a meal that will be delivered tomorrow to our local fire station.  A thank you from his cub scout pack to the men and women he knows as "heroes." 

He knows little to nothing of 9-11.  But, it is in his eyes that I see the pride, the patriotism, the hope for peace.