5th Anniversary -- Sept. 11th

Today on CNN's website, they are broadcasting, in real-time, their 9/11 broadcast. And, I am listening to it here at work. Not sure if it is good to do, but it feels like a tribute in some ways to those who were lost to simply listen. I feel like I need to do it.

One of the things that made a huge impact on me after Sept. 11th was the Portraits of Grief by the NYTimes. These were brief anecdotes about nearly every victim of that tragic day. And, throughout the rest of 2001 and in to 2002 I'd read them every night. I have a very clear memory of a night late into the fall that year. I couldn't fall asleep and couldn't figure out why. Then I remembered that I hadn't read the Portraits of Grief for that day yet. They are still on the NY Times website and today I started re-reading them.

In reading these snippets again, two things come to mind. One is a reminder of how tragic the loss of life was on that horrible day. The second is that I am lucky to have the life I do. So very lucky.

I am certainly a worrier (I claim it is a genetic disposition), so I struggle to look on the bright side of life sometimes. But, re-reading these tributes reminds you that you must take time to be thankful for all you have in life.