Summing Up Thursday..

This has been a long week already and it is only Thursday! We've been busy with so many things - school, therapies, meetings, appointments! Today was the last day of indoor pick up for Matthew - tomorrow CAR LINE pick up begins! Boo hoo...not really but it means I won't be walking into his class to pick him up; now he'll be walked to the car. Sure it will be more convenient but it is one more step in him growing up.

Well It has been so busy that the date got away from me...it didn't dawn on me until early this morning (about 5:00am) when I was waking up that today was September 11th. Wow. It hit me hard as in "how did I lose track of that?". Patrick and I were in the car at the anniversary of the first attack and as I listened to the radio playback Rudy Giuliani making his first statement that day & then a statement from him today as he recalled that day...it was very hard to listen to. That was most likely the most traumatic event that has touched my life to date. It was heartbreaking every day. I remember the things that struck me the most after the attacks....every day seeing people on the news walking up and down the streets of New York City with pictures of their loved ones & homemade flyers hoping someone could identify their loved one in a hospital being treated ..hanging on to hope. The photos of masses of people leaping to their deaths from the tower before it collapsed. I remember the many stories of people connected in so many ways locally to what happened there. A co-worker's children's teacher was on one plane that crashed. A co-worker's sister-in-law was giving a presentation in the first tower when it was hit. Another co-worker had an aunt who worked in the Pentagon and was injured but survived the attack. It goes on and on. Too many to list here. Especially since my husband & I have so many connections in that area. Don's cousin, Billy McGinn, was a firefighter who was a first responder to the first tower and he was killed when the tower collapsed. Don has 2 other cousins in different fire houses who responded later ...Billy's brothers...they were not even injured...but it took weeks to find Billy's remains and know for sure. But we stay strong & proud & focused after all this has happened. We are SO immensely grateful for all the men and women who serve & protect and who have given their lives for us. I know I feel a sense of duty to show our pride and hold my head up high in honor of them.

As far as the rest of our Thursday goes...it doesn't really matter. The rest of it was a cake walk. What do I have to complain about? I am alive. I am healthy. I have a home, food, clothing, protection from the elements, indoor plumbing, medical care, enough money to live on, a supportive spouse, beautiful children, friends, freedom, choices, the right to speak my mind and practice the religion of my choice. It's a good day. It's a good life.