Do not be afraid to Never Forget

For anyone feeling pulled by different commitments this 9/11 here are some thoughts…

Do not be afraid to Never Forget.
Do not be afraid to be vulnerable and softened by this anniversary.
Do not be afraid to be still.
Do not be afraid to say no to an invitation that doesn’t sit right with your soul and if you do go to the soccer game or BBQ, do it with more hugs, eye contact and humility than perhaps you normally would.
Bring peace into the world and take a moment during the day to remember how 15 years ago this day changed you, because my bet is that the day changed you for the better.
May we never forget how it changed us all.

Here is a poem by John O’Donohue, my favorite Irish Philosopher and Poet. Please share it with your family if it resonates with you-

A BLESSING FOR PEACE

As the fever of day calms toward twilight
May all that is strained in us come to ease.

We pray for all who suffered violence today,
May an unexpected serenity surprise them.

For those who risk their lives
Each day for peace,
May their hearts glimpse providence
At the heart of history.

That those who make riches
From violence and war
Might hear in their dreams
the cries of the lost.

That we might see through
our fear of each other
A new vision to heal
Our fatal attraction to aggression.

That those who enjoy
The privilege of peace
Might not forget their
tormented brothers and sisters.

That the wolf might lie down
with the lamb,
That our swords be beaten
Into plowshares

And no hurt or harm be done
Anywhere along the holy mountain.