Memory

Today marks the 8th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the United States.  Although not personally affected, this day still seems to have people mourning.  But, it is also weird to think that my age group is one of the youngest to actually remember the tragedy.  Ask just about anyone and they know where and what they were doing when they heard the news.

For me, I was actually at camp with my school.  It is a tradition of Jenks West Elementary to spend a week with the 6th grade at a camp working on "grade bonding."  We were actually supposed to leave that morning but the administration was not sure what to do with us, send us there or home.  We ended up going, but not being told about the attacks.  The counselor parents knew and the teachers, but we were left in the dark until walking in the door at home on Friday, which was to say the least, "surreally shocking."

Now, it seems like people are more somber this day; it is almost as if a fog descends over the country.  Yes, it was a sad day that changed our lives forever but life does go on.  Being from Oklahoma I had experienced this before with the Murrah Building Bombing and it seems to have the same emotions  surrounding it.  People are in mourning.  This makes me wonder, how long do you really need to mourn, until it is all over? At the Murrah Building Memorial there is a tree called "The Survivor Tree."  It represents the idea that life goes on and continues to grow.  I like to visit this time to time, but the picture above is one of my favorites that I have taken. We need to remember that with 9/11, although it was a sad day, babies were born, people got promotions, engagements happened....all good things.  So now, when thinking of 9/11 I will ponder on the new hope, through the image of the Survivor Tree in Oklahoma City.