9/11

Happy Birthday to me. Today is my 28th Bday. Thanks to everyone for all of your sweet emails & messages. I really appreciate all of the good wishes -- and even the old jokes.

For the past 7 years I have had a more difficult time enjoying my birthday in the earlier part of the day. I watch the news and remember all the lives that were lost on 9/11/01. I remember where I was that day & how much has changed since. Every year I tear up when I watch the news - without fail. Big surprise, right? Today, on my 28th, I watched the news very briefly during my morning break at work. They had a clip on CNN and in the background there was a little girl hugging an older woman. The girl must have been around 7 years old. It made me think. I wonder if that little girl lost a loved one on that day 7 years ago. She would not necessarily KNOW the person that was lost but only know their memory and the stories she hears. The girl, although young, looked proud to be at Ground Zero. She looked like she knew what was happening and she stood proud. We should all stand proud on this day. So many brave men & women fight for us everyday & keep us safe. There were so many lives lost in the planes hitting the twin towers, the pentagon, the field in Penn, the firefigthers, policemen & other service men & women.

Everybody always has an"im so sorry" expression when they realize my birthday is on 9/11. "that must be so hard" people say. It's actually not. Its not hard & its not really sad. I'm proud. Im proud to share my special day with the rest of our free country in remembrance of what happened on this day 7 years ago. Like the little girl on TV today, Im proud to be an American and Im proud of the people who fight to keep us safe. For the next 28 years & beyond I want to live my life in a way that will make my kids as proud of me as that little girl is proud of the person she only remembers on this day.