Mama Monday #19

Theme: Forgive


Gee, this one is kind of tough. I mean, I'm coming into this week with an idea already in mind for Mama Monday. I just had to hope that the theme worked with what I have to say.

Well, I suppose it kind of does, in a round about sort of way. Actually, I can work with it if I take a somewhat different approach. That approach?...

Forgive - maybe. Forget - never.

You see, I want to tell you all about this amazing project I've recently become involved with. I happened upon a post from a blogger with a very exciting vision. His idea is to round up 2,995 individual bloggers to write tributes on September 11th to the 2,995 individuals who were killed in the U.S. tradegy that day.

The stipulations call for the contributing bloggers not to refer to the terrorists, their organization, or anything having to do with their hideous acts or goals. In d.c. roe's own words:

I don’t want any of us to remember the murderers. Do not refer to the terrorists. Or their organization. Or their goals. Let them fade into nothing. Let them be forgotten. Remember those worth remembering.

So that is exactly what I'm going to do.

If you'd like to participate, just click on over to d.c.'s blog and post a comment. He will get back to you with the name of the person he's assigned you to write about. Or, if you're like me, you can suggest a person you wish to tribute. In my case, I asked if I could honor a relative of my sister-in-law who died that day on the job as a NYC firefighter. I can't wait to learn more about this amazing, brave man and write a (hopefully) fitting tribute to his remarkable life.

So - yes. Maybe we can learn to forgive the actions of these madmen who rocked our world on that fateful day. Forgive, that is, in the same sort of way a victim of incest can "forgive" his or her attacker. The same way a parent could find it deep in their heart to "forgive" the criminal who took the life of their child. The same way we all can forgive, just a little, in order to "accept" what has happened, grieve as much as we need to, and move on from the tradegy enough so that we can again build up our country, build up our lives, and build up our spirits against all the evil that exists in this world.

But forget? NEVER. Never forget the tragedy, the pain, the shock or even the fear. If we forget, we lose and they win. AND THEY CAN'T WIN.

Never forget the innocent, alive, vibrant, men, women and children who were murdered that day in the midst of just living their lives. Just going about their day. And/or trying to help out once the need was there - not worried about their own wellbeing. Just concerned about saving as many lives as possible in the middle of all the chaos.

Please. Consider helping out. Consider paying tribute. Consider the possibility to perhaps forgive - a little - but never, ever forget.