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Tears, Remembering ... Appreciating 09.11.2003 | 6:51 pm
***I wonder at the short-sightedness of some. I know many these days sneer at the current leadership of our country and the cost, time, energy and human toll this new and ugly war on terror has brought to bear upon us�the Americans. Entertainers, �famous folk,� fashion icons and the like sit in France and scoff at this precious gift given to them through the blood of so very many. But it is we, the leaders of the free world, unafraid to take action when necessary�we are Americans who bear the responsibility, for we have been given liberty, and we must take the lead in preserving that which is freedom �
Written by Francis Scott Key, as he watched the Battle of Fort McHenry almost two centuries ago.
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The nut tree on the last three 9-11�s has been emotional, intense and exhausting. Each year, as the squirrels have become older and farther removed from the immediate pain and horror of the attacks on America, I continue to see and hear from them the same sorrow, concern and love for those who were killed, and those who remain. Our principal is very patriotic and a great supporter of our troops, police and fire fighters. She allots time for meaningful assemblies, so that those young minds can grasp the importance of the freedom which is America. The poster memorials we drew and colored today and then adorned along the outside fence of the campus were truly beautiful. Most of children drew the towers falling and the Statue of Liberty or the flag still standing in the background. There were big words of �thank you� and �with love�� Today, during the assembly, three fifth grade girls sang solos�each taking a verse of the Star Spangled Banner�not often heard or understood. I remember as a teen, visiting the Smithsonian where the original Star Spangled Banner is housed. The ceremony and story depicted through the words of the song and the raising of the banner brought tears of appreciation to my eyes then, as did the three verses of the song today. I was crying again as I listened to the names of ordinary citizens, being read by their lonely and grieving children in ceremonies in New York and Pennsylvania. I was touched by the sorrow of airline workers at Boston�s, Logan Airport, as they paused to remember co-workers�gone, yet never forgotten. Many across the country were somber and reverent in the memory of those fallen ones. 