9/12

Yesterday was a day of collective remembrance in our country. It marked a day of horrific losses, the day our lives changed. It was a turning point. Everything gets lumped into two categories, before and after. The day before 9/11, I was worried about finding a job. I spent my time alternating between online job hunting, and playing with my son. We read books, went to the park, watched tv and sang a lot of songs.
For me, Sept 12th was the day it all sunk in. I'd spent the night before wondering what it all meant. How much the world was going to change. Wednesday, we woke up to a new reality. For the first time in my life, I was fearful for our general safety. I was absolutely petrified for my son's future. What kind of world was he going to grow up in, and inherit from us? A world of clashing ideologies, terroristic threats, and fear?
I remember how suddenly patriotism was all the rage. Long before 9/11, we'd taught our son the Pledge of Allegiance. I remember the flags, everywhere. For a few weeks, Americans loved each other and it was good. But soon after, we started blaming countries and groups based on vague information we got from the news. We started hating again. Calling for war and blood. When we couldn't find the people responsible for that terrible day, we went after others, just plain eager to start a fight. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not for or against war, per se. Too long to explain.
All I know is that MOST people simply want to live their lives, and be left alone. Left alone to work, raise children, watch baseball, fall in love, worship their chosen deity and at the end, be able to look back and smile. Really, is that too much to ask? Doesn't everyone on earth deserve that much?
These are my thoughts on 9/11, jumbled as they may be.

4 Things

RLM tagged me - redlotusmama.blogspot.com Visit her awesome page today!

4 things I am passionate about
* Duh - my boys
* Safe Haven Education
* Books
* History

4 books I’ve read and enjoyed
* Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
* The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
* My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
* The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory

4 words/phrases I say often
* Ummmhello?
* Yes dear? (In response to kids calling me)
* Not yours! (To the dog)
* I have nothing to wear!

4 things I want to do before I die
* Complete all pending home improvement projects
* See the bioluminescent lagoons in Puerto Rico
* Get hired by CPD
** See my sons graduate from great colleges, and eventually play with my grandchildren

4 things I’ve learned in life
* Love shouldn't be hard work
* Kids are not mini adults
* Never give a cat a bath
* It's okay to leave people behind (some people deserve it)

4 places I want to see
* My kids rooms, clean
* A bowling alley in Canada
* 7-11 in Hawaii
* Europe

4 people I want to tag
* You!
* You!
* You!
* and YOU!

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Belly is always pretending to be a daddy. At my friend's house, he and her little girl adopted a baby doll, and they took turns feeding it and rocking it. At home, he makes elaborate dishes in his pretend kitchen and tells everyone they have to at least try it before saying they don't like it. At the store, he always pretends to put a baby in the cart, and pretends to chase it when it gets away, and picks out things that it likes. Yesterday at the beach, he found a dinosaur egg, and proclaimed it his new baby. He took it on the swings and the slide, and sat it next to him on the way home.
*light bulb*
I told my husband that Belly has a good daddy role model, and that's why he does these things when he's pretending to be a daddy.
That makes me happy :)