A Sad Day with a Happy Ending

It's been a sad day. Not a bad day. I've actually had a pretty good day. But I can't help but reflect today a little. This morning as I sipped my coffee in the kitchen Liam gasped in the living room and said "Mom, somebody just flew a plane into a big building." I didn't respond with fear, I was well aware of what today was. I knew what he was seeing on the news. I was just kind of shocked to realize that he didn't know what he was seeing. Liam was only 2 months old on that fateful day. I guess for Liam anyway, 8 is the magic (or should I say tragic) age of awareness. Many 9/11 anniversaries have come and gone. Anniversaries that he has not paid the slightest bit of attention to. And I kind of liked it like that. I liked it like that because one of my memories of that day is sitting on my moms couch watching in horror as people jumped out of the windows of one of the towers. I remember that Sam, 4 at the time, was on the floor playing. Happy to be at Grandma and PaPa James' house, but aware of the disturbed air. I remember him asking me "Mommy, why did the men fly the plane into the building? Are they bad men?".  A 4 year old shouldn't wonder about things like that. I am thankful Liam has remained blissfully unaware for 8 years. Today, though, I had to explain to him about the bad men who hated us. It took a few minutes before he and Maggie (because she hung on every word at Liam's side, as usual) understood that it was "on purpose". I didn't like telling them about it. I know it's our history, but in some way I felt like knowing what was done to America that day despoiled their innocence a little. I realize this post is maudlin, but it's what I've been thinking about all day. Telling my babies what happened on 9/11 the year Liam was born.

Then to make matters worse, there was a horribly sad story on the news this evening about a young man from Delaware, Ohio who was supposed to be coming home on leave from either Iraq or Afghanistan this weekend who was killed by a roadside bomb yesterday. It just broke my heart for his family. I know every military loss is a great one, but I cannot and would not want to imagine what they must feel like today. Yesterday, they were so excited to see their baby again. Today they never will. I don't remember their name, but please pray for them. God knows who we're talking about.

Just when I was really working myself down into the dumps, as I typed this post, CBS ran the greatest story. It lifted my sad heart. It was about a Chicago cabbie who repeatedly had to pick up a grumpy older woman. Not only did he put on a happy face for her, he did some research. His research led him to the knowledge that she was grumpy because he has been taking her to her dialysis appointments and that she needs a kidney transplant. That taxi driver had himself tested and is a match ~ and he's giving her one of his kidneys. He said he asked God about it and God thought it was a good idea. When a local news station ran the story about him his 30 years estranged daughter recognized and contacted him. Her mother had divorced him and taken her away when she was a kid. Here is the link: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/09/11/assignment_america/main5304591.shtml

Thank you Lord for a happy story. Right?

I love you all!