Pause and Appreciate

Today I awoke early in the morning around 5 am to the sound of light rain outside. Though I lay in bed for another hour once I got up I realized the weather matched my mood. It's not that I was feeling particularly down, nor had I realized the significance of the date. Nonetheless, I was feeling a bit somber as I got ready for work and walked to the metro.

It hit me as the subway went across the Potomac River to Virginia with the Pentagon in full view. It's September 11. Today, much like that day eight years ago, was just an ordinary day. There was no fear in my mind as I crossed the bridge and looked out at Washington, just as fear had been the furthest thing from many people's minds eight years ago.

This fleeting thought did not last long. There was too much to wrap up at work. And it did not cross my mind as I ran down to the parking garage at 9:45 am to coordinate taking a group of my co-workers to volunteer. It did not cross my mind as we drove back through DC and then back out to Virginia to deliver food to people who are chronically ill. We stopped at three houses and had three short interactions, three glimpses of humanity at its best, people helping people.

But as I sit here tonight, as I peruse other blogs and articles about today, I want to say I think those three glimpses of humanity are a fitting way to commemorate the nearly three thousand lives lost eight years ago today. And I've paused and appreciated the many moments today that I took for granted that could not have been taken for granted eight years ago in Washington. I hope you had a chance to do the same.