Gratitude

Today was the 10th anniversary of 9/11.  Of course, you'd have to live under a rock not to know this.  It's been everywhere this past week---on the radio, on the tv, and weighing on minds all around the globe.  I admit I have been listening, watching, and thinking too.

This morning I awoke to my nine year old snuggling in bed with me, showering me with kisses and exclaiming, "I love, love, love you mummy!".  It was the loveliest way to greet the day that I could possibly imagine and it made me think about how grateful I should be for these wonderful moments.
As the girls and I watched some of the tv programming (youngest actually turned down her cartoons to hear the live stream on the computer), there were tears (on my part), lots of difficult questions and some pretty big realizations for the kids.  It prompted a few spontaneous and loving moments and changed the way we faced the day.  For my part,  I baked two types of muffins instead of the one I had intended to make because, of course, my two girls like different kinds.  Such a little thing I know but they've marvelled at it all day.

Ten years ago, with a three year old at home and 8 months pregnant, the shock and horror of 9/11 left me feeling rather helpless and somewhat hopeless.  At the time it was hard to imagine bringing a new baby into a world that was so shrouded in fear.  Today that "baby", along with her sister, reminded me of how wonderful our time together can be if I let go of my plans and go with gratitude.