Remembering

It was my sophomore year. I was sitting in my dorm in LaFortune hall getting ready for my morning class; Jeremy was in the cafeteria eating breakfast and watching ESPN when the breaking news hit.  I wish I could say that I remember all the feelings that overwhelmed me that devastating morning.  I watched in horror, with millions of others, as the second plane hit the building but not fully comprehending the magnitude of what was happening.

I was in shock.

I remember wanting my mom to call and make sure I was safe, even though she knew I wasn't there. I wanted to be back home, cuddled in my bed eating my moms chicken and dumplings, to relive a time when I didn't have to be a grown up yet and understand grown up things.

Now I am a mom. I am a wife. My maternal instinct wants to protect her from experiencing anything horrible.  Now I truly understand. The devastation of that day is perfectly clear. I cry.  I pray. I pray for all the families that lost their loved ones. I pray God's unfailing love will bring comfort to all the families affected.

"My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life."  Psalm 119:50 

We will never forget the lives lost and the heroism of so many people that day.  I am proud of our country's resilience in the wake of this tragedy.

Today reminds me to be prayerful, to acknowledge everyday my abundance of blessings.  To live every moment to the fullest.  To love like I have never loved before.  To forgive the unforgivable.

To stop and smell the flowers.

To live like Jesus.