The Dance

Elizabeth Kabler-Ross once said, ~ It is only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it were the only one we had.~ The tragic events of September 11, 2001 five years ago continue to resonate to this day and remembered as, for my generation, our Pearl Harbor. For we all know where we were and what we were doing when the Twin Towers were hit to the point that it affected you even though you weren't personally there. Let me ask you this question, when you remember back to that fateful Tuesday morning what feelings and emotions were you going through at the time?

Without a doubt, when each of us saw it happen or heard about it we experienced a stunning shock to our system because you couldn't believe it was actually happening. In some aspect, it was like you wanted someone to pinch you because it may just be a horrible nightmare, but it wasn't. For we all were glued to the television or listened intently on the radio as it was considered a moment in time that nobody will or won't ever forget. It was in that surreal moment you didn't know what to do as you wanted to go on with life as usual but instead probably stayed in the safety, as well as, comfort of your own home and watched the unfortunate events unfold before your very own eyes on televisions live.

Essentially, the stunning shock to our system eventually wore off to the point anger set in. It would probably be safe to say that many of you were completely and utterly angry at the actions among the middle eastern community overseas as they celebrated, which you may have seen on television or heard on the radio. Most definitely, it not only made my blood boil but hopefully yours as well when you saw or heard guns being shot in the air as they celebrated the fact we as a nation were going through a time of pain and suffering. The anger felt within prompted many Americans to be motivated to where they joined the military to not only either get payback, show their patriotism, or just get involved in some way, shape, or form.

Ultimately, the anger we all felt inevitably turned into sadness as you started reading or hearing news of how many lives have been lost in not just the three flights, but also in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. It was a sad situation indeed to see people, who were trapped in the buildings, jump for their lives knowing they weren't going to make it, which has been ingrained to the minds of many. Initially, it wasn't just the people in New York City or the Pentagon for that matter who were suffering. For we all suffered as well because countless people had family and/or friends who were in New York City and trying to contact them was an impossibility. For the question can be asked, did you personally lose someone that was close to you on that day?

In retrospect, the events of on that particular day taught and revealed to us the following things: #1.) It taught us that life can end in just a snap of a finger.(Proverbs 27:1 - Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring) #2.) It taught us what's most truly important in life. #3.) It revealed to us there is an evil out there who hate us with a passion because of all the freedoms we enjoy. #4.) It revealed to us the resiliency of a nation that wasn't going to show fear but rather continue on with life as usual. In the end, it's the dance known as life that when we remember back on our own life we all hopefully didn't miss out on living it to the fullest by spending it with the people we love and care about, which is a song by Garth Brooks.