Because of the Brave

I need to write more about Tuesday, September 11.  I had so many thoughts going through my head that I neglected to write about the most important one.

September 11, 2001 -- I wake up in the morning.  I'm getting ready for the day.  I always make my bed first, then get dressed and do my hair.  Then I usually go downstairs to the kitchen to eat breakfast.  I just finished my hair, so I walk past my mom's bedroom toward the stairs, ready to chow down some cereal.  As I walk past my mom's open bedroom door, I see her standing stiffly in front of her small TV.  She is just staring at it, and the screen is almost completely made up of ugly black and deep grey smoke.  "What's that?" I say.  "This is happening right now in New York," she says.

I cannot put into words how grateful I am to the people who serve in the military.  I cannot imagine even in a small margin how much they go through, what they experience, what life is to them.  I cannot say what it means to me to have people out there who don't know me but are willing to sacrifice themselves for me and my family and everyone I love.  It is unbelievable that we have so many selfless souls on this earth.  There will never be enough words to express my gratitude and the debt I feel to them.  Whoever you are, wherever you are, know that there are grateful people in this world, who love you.

Tears come to my eyes as I write this, because I feel like no matter what I do, it will never be enough to say 'thank you.'  I will never have the strength to serve in the military, but I hope someday I will personally know and love someone who does have the strength.  I hope I can show my gratitude to them and in some small way, it will be enough.

Land of the free, because of the brave.

<3 Mel