Normal After 9/11

Many of you may have read my post from back in May entitled Parenting Through Terrorism.  I wrote that post on the cuff of learning that Seal Team Six had managed to take out Osama Bin Laden.  I was torn between celebrating with my ex-military husband and teaching my children that celebrating someone’s death is not exactly how we want to go through life.

That said, we are now sitting here on the eve of the tenth anniversary of 9/11.  Do you remember where you were that day?  If you don’t, it’s very abnormal, with abnormal being extremely abstract in the first place.  I listened with a bent ear on Friday morning as I took my kids to school.  The local radio personalities were reliving that horrible Tuesday morning and my kids were oblivious to the conversation.  I wondered if they would discuss the events of 9/11 at school.  Or maybe they already had.  I didn’t know for my own selfish reasons.

You see, I didn’t ask them about that specifically.  I ask them a lot of questions.  I ask them what they learned and if they discuss certain news-worthy events but I’ve stayed away from this topic for a reason.  And that reason is simple, I still don’t know how I feel about that day other than angry.  Moreover, if anger is the only thing I can relay to them about that horrible morning, I’d rather just not make that leap just yet.

But, I digress.  Back to the radio personalities and their conversation.  You see, as I sat right here and made mention of the fact that not remembering the events of that seems a bit abnormal, those radio personalities made an excellent point that I hope I can always remember.  I hope I can take this thought with me as my boys age and start to ask questions.  That thought?

The devastating events of 9/11 were mean to change us.  We aren’t suppose to take that kind of horror and simply sweep it under the rug and go on about our lives as if nothing has ever happened.  The events of any life altering change like this are meant to do just that; alter our lives.

As you go about your day tomorrow, think about the families who live in misery every day trying to find a happy place to go on.  I know we will watch some of the coverage on television and if you choose to do so, remember what this radio guy said, this didn’t happen for you to continue on with your life as normal, this happened and now you must create a new normal.

I challenge you to do just that, create a new normal, whatever normal is.