Reflections on this day

This is an encore presentation of something I wrote a few years back.

(September 11 is my son's birthday, my first-born. My son is an Iraq Combat Veteran. September 11, 1984, the day he was born, changed my life forever.  September 11, 2001, changed the course of his life forever).

Here's to healing, celebrating life, and moving on.

September 11

I will not continue to mourn this day.

I will not let it be clouded with grief and despair.

Instead, I will live it fully, I will laugh, I will love.

On this day, children have been born, first kisses

given, wedding vows exchanged.

On this day, there has been both laughter

and sadness, but life continues.

Those who are lost are mourned every day

By those who love them.

I will not continue to blame a beautiful, clear day in September.

I will not give in to hatred and revenge.

Instead, I will seek goodness and truth.

I will not give honor to those who serve sin

by remembering their names and their faces.

I will not memorialize their acts of evil.

Instead, I will keep in my heart the names and faces

of those who have been the victims of hatred, everyday.

Instead I will remember ALL those who have suffered

or died because of hatred and intolerance.

I will memorialize daily all those who have endured

prejudice, oppression, abuse and violence.

I will honor them by teaching my children love,

kindness, understanding and tolerance.

I will honor them by having joy in my own life and by

striving to bring joy to others.

I will not continue to mourn this day.

Instead, I choose this day to celebrate goodness, to seek truth, to rekindle hope.

Instead, on this day, I choose to live.

This piece was originally published on the Bangor Daily News website, September 9, 2012.