Day #42: What We Should Remember

On September 11th, there are often a lot of messages regarding patriotism, the people who have passed away then and since, and the war on terror.

Unfortunately, one message never seems to come across--kindness.

The week after 9/11, the one thing I remember most is how kind everyone was.

We had all suffered this massive tragedy, and many people responded to it by opening themselves up to those around them. Stories came out of New York about strangers stopping each other on the street and asking "are you okay?"

I think it's a shame we don't remember that on 9/11 and make it a day of kindness in remembrance of those who were lost.

Instead, we've all grown a tough outer layer. I think as a result of knowing that we live in an unsafe world, we all hardened ourselves. That way, if there was another tragedy, we wouldn't feel as hurt and shocked.

There was an event going around on Facebook asking people to participate in a minute of silence in honor of those who died. I said I wasn't attending, because for me, silence isn't a way to honor those who've past.

For me, it's another example of doing nothing to living. I like to honor living by living.

Now people are trying to make September 11th a major holiday. I suppose this is so we can all sit at home one extra day a year and reflect.

I don't feel like that's the right message we should be sending.

What I remember about that day and the days that followed are moments like Mayor Giuliani appearing on SNL to say that New York was open for business. To me, that was incredibly moving--to say, we suffered through this and we're still going.

I wish we had kept that spirit of kindness and unity intact.

Instead, we did what we normally do--

Waited a year and then went back to tearing each other apart.

I'm posting this on my "nice" blog because it illustrates something I post about often--

Being nice is difficult. It truly is. It's a life adjustment, and it's even harder to do when you're often surrounded by cynicism and downright cruelty.

Still, we take a day every year to remember the past.

Why don't we try to take something from that awful day? Why didn't we all try to change for the better?

Wouldn't that be the ultimate tribute?