Ten Years Past Tragedy, Six Months Of Joy

I’m not an overly political person. This isn’t to say there aren’t things I don’t care about, there are (on both sides of the so-called “liberal” and “conservative” line of demarcation). But, when it comes down to it, folks is folks and we’re all just trying to get through this thing in one piece. Furthermore, I think most politicians are out to serve themselves and kick up a decent vig to the parties who got them where they are. As a result, I don’t promote politicians. When the topic of national or world events come up and people want to get all hot and bothered by it, I tend to either keep quiet or diffuse the situation with non-partisan humor.

But as the 10^th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, I can’t help but to take a deeper look at the kind of world around my family. Ten years ago, I had just turned 30. Celebrated on a big party boat on a lake, helping Anheuser-Busch’s stock climb to historic heights. Less than a month later the world changed forever. Fast-forward to now and I find myself with newborn twins. Specifically newborn twins who will turn exactly six months on September 11. I so badly want to celebrate this day, but know that the rest of the country will be in a somber, mood of reflection and remembrance.  And so should I, I suppose. Six months is a huge benchmark, yet it falls on the ugliest day of my lifetime.

It hardly seems fair. Everyday I’m surrounded by a double-dose of love and beauty I never thought possible. These two creatures who don’t know any of the bad stuff about me, don’t know my weaknesses, simply light up when I come home from work. They grab me around my neck and squeeze. They’re now at an age where their personalities are blooming. They react to things, laugh, play, grab. Most gratifying is that they are recognizing one another and desire each other’s  company.  How could the world be that bad?

Reasons to celebrate...

But it is at times. There are bad people out there. From people who would hijack an airplane, to the guy who lets a door close when there is someone behind him with their hands full. How will I break it to these two guys who only know a miniscule atom of this world? You want these perfect creatures to only know the joys of safety and unconditional love ,not the filth and lies and sadness and evil. But they will. Not all at once, obviously. But little-by-little, the wall protecting their innocence will be chipped away. Hopefully little-by-little, anyways. And unfortunately for them, it'll bee chipped away a lot quicker than it did for me, and at the speed-of-light quicker than my parents. They are coming into a world that is drastically different than it was just ten years ago.  Perhaps if Jess and I do our jobs, that wall won’t be destroyed completely.

As 9/11 approaches we will celebrate Jackson and Logan reaching six months silently. This isn’t to say we’ll ignore our own memories of how we experienced that horrific moment. But at least for us, there will be a specific reason to embrace joy. Why let bad people ruin good?