Yesterday was 9/11. We will never forget. Ever.
For my students it was 9/11, they do not know. Most of them were not alive when the day unfolded and our world changed, forever.
9/11/2001 was my son W’s first day of pre-school – he was three. He remembers momma standing in front of the television crying and asking her what was wrong.
Momma replied, “Bad news.”
To him, and all of us, 9/11 is the day of the ‘Bad News.’
Yet, it doesn’t have to be the day of the Bad News.
At school, we were looking for a way to mark the day and remember. The flag flew at half-staff, we observed a moment of silence, and the above ‘Today in History’ slide appeared in the daily announcements. Then, our school went about our day – learning, guiding, leading, assessing, re-teaching, and so many other verbs. We do it every day.
the American flag flying at half staff – #NeverForget ever pic.twitter.com/DuUU9wdLoT
— Clay Watkins (@makingdayscount) September 12, 2015
After the announcements were finished, I showed the video below. Please take a moment to watch it – the video is 2 minutes and 19 seconds long. It will be time well spent, I promise.
I do good deeds daily, but sometimes I need reminder to do more, to give more, to pay it forward. I suppose we all need a gentle nudge from time to time to remind us that we are part of something greater.
Last night before W’s football game, there was a remembrance of 9/11. Several local first responders – fire, police, and paramedics lined the end zone during the pre-game ceremony and the playing of ‘The Star Spangled Banner.’ In the middle of the national anthem, several of them left to respond to a call. W’s team was crushed – 28-6.
I did several good deeds and I’ll continue today, tomorrow, and beyond. However, I am sure I will need a nudge from time to time, probably an occasional kick in the rear, too. Please feel free to provide a nudge, or even a kick when I need one.
Last spring, we visited to Washington D.C. On the trip home, we visited Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As we drove along the Pennsylvania Turnpike, B noticed a sign for Shanksville.
The name was familiar, but out of my consciousness in the middle of spring. Shanksville is the site of the fourth plane crash – Flight 93. We diverted for a side trip and visited. I’ll never forget the visit. I took the video below and shared it with my classes – my students spoke each name aloud. May their names and memories never be forgotten.
May we never forget, EVER.
Today is gonna be a great day, a million and six times SQUARED better than 9/11/2001. It’s gonna be full – O is at a band camp for the day, W plays in an hour, we’re going to a county fair this evening, and I have to grocery shop for ingredients for a birthday cake. There is always something. Doing good deeds daily and Making the Days Count, always.
Please share and pay it forward. Thank you.
Oh, by the way – I was back at the French Market early this morning. There are still five roses left from last week’s bouquet.
https://me.sh/vnz6jfr
A very moving post. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Thank you Margaret – there are moments in our lives that leave an indelible impressions – some are good moments, some are not, but each memory shapes us into the persons we become. Have a wonderful weekend and week ahead.
Beautiful videos. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for sharing this. Both videos are beautiful but the second one is especially poignant.
You are welcome and thank you for stopping by – I teach kids and I instruct in the content area I am assigned be it English Language Arts, science, or history. But, I think the most important are based on values, character, living life, and continual learning. I am sure my students will forget much of the content from class, but I am confident they don’t forget that we are all part of something bigger. Have a wonderful weekend.