Thursday, September 11, 2008

"Reflections..."

I,
like so many others,
remember exactly everything
about that fateful September morning in 2001
when
all of our "knowns" became "unknowns".

September 11th, 2001
started as routinely as any regular school day.
My lesson plan for social studies that day was to
introduce the concepts of
"Fact...Opinion...and Rumor..."
as part of understanding current events.
That is the absolute, unbelieveable, undeniable TRUTH!!!
I still get chills every time I think about it.

Needless to say,
during those seconds, and minutes, and hours
of that teaching day
and
throughout the infinite lessons and journal entries
and broken hearts, and tears, and the thousands of questions
of those days that followed ...
it
undeniably was one of the most powerfully moving and
spiritually inspiring
moments of my entire teaching career.

I remember that day as if it were yesterday...
it is crystal clear in my heart.
My personal memories of it are wrenching and raw
yet paradoxically serene and filled with hope.
Seeing the world through the eyes of a child is very special.
I was a privilege that day to be a teacher.

I dedicate this post to the memory of those souls lost that day...
and
to the junior high students who were in my classes then...
and
to Matt, my team teaching partner,
who "held my hand" throughout it all.
I wish you peace...

Remember...Every day REALLY does matter.

10 comments:

Anita Davies said...

'Every day REALLY does matter'
How very true Margaret. I can't quite believe it was 7 years ago...it still feels like yesterday in so many ways.

Donna Mulholland said...

Margaret,

Although not an American, I remember that morning just as clearly as you do. I remember who I talked to, I remember the person who said " a plane just crashed into the twin towers" and we all stopped what we were doing and turned to the CNN website.

As a Canadian, we felt the horror of that day keenly. Something changed forever in the world that day, but our appreciation and passion for freedom and democracy and our hearts "grew two sizes that day."

We would never have chosen to grow in strength and resolve from such a horror, but in fact that is what has happened.

Freedom and democracy cannot be snuffed out by fear. Quite the opposite.

MaryO said...

Simply beautiful, Margaret......

Glitz Ink said...

this is so beautiful, thank you for sharing!!! i always will remember this day and the date of hurricane katrina...they never fail to make me count my blessings! i really love how you had the tear alongside the years turn into the candle flame...that's brilliant and very powerful!

Sandi said...

This is lovely. Thank you for taking the time. It might have slipped by me entirely as I am not good with dates at all in terms of what is it today. I like the drawing because it suggests a movement forward.....we all need that at the same time as remembering - both vital...at least for me...

Teri said...

This day lives right alongside the day Kennedy got shot! Indelible etched on my mind,

thanks for a beautiful post.

john.p said...

Nice memorial to a somber event. Part of me still can't believe that such an event could happen to us and that we can be so hated by another culture.

kazumiwannabe said...

Your words and page are beautiful. I think all over the world we were all so shcked and sad that day.

Margaret Ann said...

Thanks you everyone for stopping by this day.

melanie said...

I remember it too. Here's what I wrote that day.. http://www.the-onion.net/journal/2001/09/someone_blew_up_the_world_toda.php