Today is the 10 year anniversary of 9/11. It seems incredible that 10 years have passed. We all remember where we were and what we were doing when we heard the news, much like the day of the Kennedy assasination. After 10 years, how have our feelings changed? Has the shock diminished? Has the anger dissapated at all? Can we ever forgive those who made this happen? What have we as a country, and as individuals, learned from this experience? All good questions to ponder today.
Since I grew up in a military family that traveled overseas a lot, my childhood experiences are different from most people I know. What I mean is that I've seen real poverty on a daily basis - people who live in hovels, are filthy, beg for food, have absolutely nothing, and live every day at a survival level we can't possibly imagine. I remember my Father showing me these places and always saying, "There for the grace of God, go I", and hoping I got the point. I did and I'll always remember the look on their faces. I can only imagine their feelings when the military prescence went into their neighborhoods or if they saw a family, such as mine, observe them and their sad way of life like it was another tourist attraction. Could you really blame them for HATING us?
Whenever I hear about the mid-East turmoil and their hatred of America, I remember those places my Father showed me and can totally understand how the motivation of hate could result in an event as tragic as 9/11. My personal feelings lean toward forgiveness and know that is the only route that can ever put this event into perspective. On the other hand, how could I or anyone forgive the murder of almost 3,000 innocent people in one day?
This is what I really want to talk about today. Forgiveness. Through my angel studies, I've finally come to understand when you "forgive" someone for something that hurt or wronged you, you are NOT condoning what they said or did, but really letting those bad feelings go from your own heart, thereby trading pain for peace. If you release those feelings from yourself, you now have room to accept something new from the Universe. Release the old; accept the new. It sounds simple, but I'll tell you it's hard to do at first, but becomes easier in time. Forgiving others also includes forgiving yourself for any part you had in that bad experience, because nothing is ever one-sided. As my Mother used to say, "It takes two to tango." I got that one too.
I know that there will always be severe poverty like the kind I saw as a child, and when people live at that survival level, there will always be conflict. How do we change it? Perhaps one way is through forgiveness. Just something to think about today. Linda
