Taking time to remember

I've been taking a lot of time to remember lately.  Not just today and the tragic events of 10yrs ago, but the others who have passed out of my life.  Not in a sad way, but simply taking time to remember them because if we remember, they are not gone.  So long as they live in our hearts and minds, they are still here with us.  Maybe not in the way we would like, the physical, but their legacy is preserved by taking what they've taught us and incorporating that into our lives and then, when we do it, remembering why those things are part of our lives now when they weren't always.

Yesterday, I went to the city to get some chocolate and walked with my two youngest.  I made it a point to go by Union Square and also by St. Patrick's church.  I remembered my grandmother who died when I was 15.  Not in a sad way, but just simply being in the places I would go with her and letting her presence wash over me.

Today, we are enjoying the freedoms that we have as Americans and remembering all those who have given their lives so that we can keep those freedoms.  Instead of living in fear, I choose to live with joy.  I feel that is the best legacy we can take away from those times.  That we will not be beaten down but will rise stronger from the ashes, more committed to reaching out our hands in friendship and understanding, to promote peace between all peoples.

Be kind to yourself and be kind to each other.  Smile at a stranger for you were once a stranger to someone else.  Respect the difference of opinion and learn what you can from it.