Are we beginning to forget already?

It is amazing to me that I have now given birth to three beautiful sons. Three sons with a wonderful life ahead of them. Three sons who were but a twinkle in my eye on 9.11.2001.

You can ask me where I was on Sept 11th, 2001 and I am instantly brought back to my apartment. (I worked from home); sitting at my desk; nursing a migraine headache. I can remember calling my husband; IMing my co-worker, Dan; learning that my dad, a colonel in the Air Force, was on high alert with a very long day (month … year…) ahead of him. Tears would stream down my face periodically throughout the day. For me life had changed.

But what about my children? They weren’t alive. Ask the generations that are in high school and younger and they really might not remember where they were. My own step-son (a junior in high school now) has vague memories as a 3rd grader on 9.11.01, he does remember watching TV in the library but the impact is not quite as profound. He remembers more the reactions of the adults around him, then the own emotions stirred within him.

So here we are … 9 years later. I sense a growing complacency about the entire incident and I find that to be very heart-wrenching. I think that as Americans we are allowed our freedoms! But we also need to be vigilant. We need to be knowledgeable. We need to support the troops that are protecting the very freedoms that we hold so dearly!

Someday if one of my sons joins the military, to defend our great nation, I will be the proudest mom on the block! But in the mean time I will try to show them how important events like 9.11.01 are in shaping who we are, where we live, what we hold dear.

Which also leads me to one more question: What events occurred before YOU were born that shaped our nation? If you don’t know take the time to learn! Checkout a book from the library about D-Day. Talk to a Vietnam Veteran. Talk to your parents or grandparents about an event in their life that shaped the nation. I think it would be a great history lesson!

– Leanne from MilitaryAvenue.combyLeanneonThursday, September 09, 2010Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to PinterestMilitary Life:9/11,Leanne,reflection