In Remembrance......

I know today is going to be a pretty rough one for many. Some of you will be participating in 9/11 ceremonies or events, others have opted to make posts in remembrance of someone who was lost on that tragic day. I know my dear friend Skittles has asked that for Heads or Tails Tuesday we write about what we were doing the disastrous day, where we were and how we felt about it.

I wasn't going to post at all today and I will explain why a little further on in this post. I can't actually remember where I was, I think I was at home doing laundry, the TV was on, I was watching the news. Then came the the news flash the twin towers had been hit. I was in disbelief no this can't be, and then watching over and over the twin towers being hit and the Pentagon and then the other flight...this can't be, it was like watching Armageddon. I sat and I cried, and I cried some more....I couldn't imagine the fear the horror that those people felt. I can't imagine knowing that any moment they were going to die and never ever see their loved ones again. What would have gone through their heads. It was tragic and senseless loss of life.

The saddest thing and what I find so terribly disturbing is that the killings continue. Nothing has been resolved. Innocent people continue to die every day and for what? The wars continue. Terrorism continues. It is not dead. It will never be dead as long as there are differences of religious beliefs and radical behaviours and lack of tolerance and a sincere desire for peace, it will continue.

Since before the time of Alexander the Great and Ghengis Kahn, wars were driven by greed and power and often disguised in the name of religion. The Crusades the Holy wars. Man has always wanted what he could not have, it is as it if it is an innate sense of being. An almost right of passage.

Remember in the play grounds. Tommy wants what Jimmy has so he bullies Jimmy until he gets what he wants. Jimmy can chose to give in and give Tommy the toy or stand his ground and fight Tommy for it. If he gives in some might see Jimmy as coward. That maybe so...maybe Jimmy just didn't want a blackeye, or what about this....maybe Jimmy can see the bigger picture and realizes that it's not worth the fight, maybe Tommy was never taught to share or ask kindly to play maybe no one took time to "Listen" to Tommy and find out where he is coming from. But that day Jimmy did. Jimmy decided to listen to Tommy found out that Tommy had always been bullied and had things taken from him and that is all he knew. Jimmy offers to share and to play together. Things improve.

This may seem so simplistic and ideological to many. But truly the basis for peace is kindness, and tolerance for in differences, not bullying back. I recognize when someone has been hurt at the hands of someone else your initial reaction is to fight back... the fight or flight... or revenge. But revenge is not the answer. We see first hand that it is not. Innocent people continue to die.

As cliche as this may sound, if I only had one wish I truly would wish for world peace and that the human race would just be kinder to each other.

To those that lost a loved one in 9/11 my deepest and sincere condolences. I hope some day you can find peace in your heart. It is the people who suffered the loss of a loved during 9/11 that could be the instruments for change. They could demand peace in the name of their loved one knowing that even in their loved ones death they continue to bring light to this planet, the light of hope.

I mentioned at the beginning of this post, that I wasn't going to post today. But as I sit here and I look up on my computer shelf I see the picture of my wonderful mother. Today, I celebrate her life. She left this world two years ago today. I know that she is looking over me and guides me, she was and continues to be my driving force to do what I can to promote peace in my surroundings. She is my "Wild Irish Rose" Love you Mum......

To all of you, I wish you peace.

"When we reach out to one another, we have the possibility of remembering that we are one, we are the same."

~ AnneWilson Schaef~