September 11, One Year Later

It is hard to believe an entire year has passed since the day that changed our perception of life, love, safety, freedom and country forever. For me, September 11 now marks the beginning of a new year. January first is too often spent sleeping late and nursing hangovers to really reflect on the past and look ahead to the future. September 11, a day that will have significance for the rest of our days, is the perfect time to stop and remember...

Remember where we were when the towers fell, remember the thousands of lives lost, remember the families forever changed, remember our troops overseas, and remember that life is a gift that should never be taken for granted.

So what progress have I personally made this past year? I wish I could say I wake up every morning with a smile on my face, and a constant sense of gratitude, that I never lose my temper, or get upset about daily minutiae, that I constantly tell those I love how much they mean to me, that I always remember what it is truly important. But it's not possible. We are human. What has changed though, is that now I catch myself when I am impatient or unkind, and I stop and I remember, and instead of getting annoyed over the simplest things I remind myself to instead find joy in the simplest things. It doesn't always work, but usually it does...and this I think is the gift that the thousands who have died left us...their tragic deaths have made it possible for others to truly live.

Buildings may crumble, bodies may perish, but love really is forever.

I wish you much love and happiness in this new year, Melissa