9/11 memories

In the days that followed 9/11/2001 there was not much known about what was happening or who was responsible for these horrific acts. My son was eight at the time and asked we stop watching TV and talking about it because he was so upset by it. He had just gotten a 2-wheel bicycle so I walked with him up to the school yard so he could practice riding. It was eerie because we lived very near Sacramento Executive Airport and - as in other places, no planes were overhead. As my son rode round and round in circles on the playground, one lone plane crossed the sky. I sat with my journal and wrote this. The date was September 14, 2001.

You can try to terrorize me
but you cannot take away
my freedom.

Your terrorist activities may strike
fear in my heart

but you cannot erase

my country's courage.

You may bomb, blow up, destroy
and obliterate buildings.

But you cannot bom, blow up,
destroy and obliterate

my home.

My home is my country,
it is in my heart
and even with my death
my country, my home will not die.

You may kill 1 or 10 or 100
or 1,000 or 10,000 or 100,000
or 1 million people
but you cannot kill
our love for our country.

We will fight with every single shred of resources we have and then some.
We will sacrifice our sons and daughters and grandchildren.

You will not succeed in
stealing our way of life.

You cannot take away the joy we have
watching our children taking their first steps
riding their first bicycle
kicking a soccer ball or
kissing them goodnight.

You cannot take away the cool delta breeze that blows through my front door.

You cannot take away our
sunsets
mountains
beaches
praries
sunrises.

You cannot make us hate you
so that we retaliate with war.

Rather we retaliate with peace.
... we retaliate with love.
... we retaliate with righteous justice.

You cannot wipe away my tears
...my broken heart
...my love for my family and country.

These things will be my medal of honor.

You will be nothing.