Michelle Falcy
Its surreal to think that it has really been 20 years (or nearly) since that day. It changed everything at the time and impacted all of our lives in some way or another, even if you didn’t know someone in the towers or on the planes, chances are you knew someone in the vicinity or who had family or friends in the vicinity. I still remember waking up and going downstairs to see the news on, we never watched news in the morning and the rest of the school day was a bit of a blur. No lessons were taught, not even much discussion that I can recall, just everyone sitting in the classrooms with our eyes peeled to the same news feed. That day is a big reason why my husband, Kenny, enlisted when he was 18 and went into the Air Force and eventually overseas to Afghanistan.
I will never understand how some can hold so much hate and disdain for others simply because they are different than them. I know as a Christian that I am called to forgive and pray for perpetrators on 9/11, those responsible for thousands of deaths just like I am called to forgive and pray for those responsible for the violence continuing around the world. We are called to love these individuals who seem to hold no love or compassion in their hearts and I have to say it is really hard. I honestly don’t know how sometimes, the realist in me and the optimist are often at odds with each other on these points. The optimist believes love conquers all and goodness can be seen in every one and everywhere, and the realist knows that simply isn’t true otherwise how do you explain the continued violence in the world.
I still don’t fully understand how I bring these two opposing views together within myself but with God’s grace I do. Overall I focus on the good and do my best to listen to the optimist voice, especially when I pray since that is where God is for me. Guiding me to choose love.
