Remembering

I woke up this morning with a heaviness of heart. By the time I finished with the parent meeting at school (early morning in the US) my FaceBook was already covered with sweet statements of remembrance and beautiful tributes.

How do I pay proper tribute to this day? Which picture is most appropriate? What sayings adequately project the emotions so many share each September 11th?

I have mulled it over most of the day and come up with just one conclusion:

The best tribute I can pay to those who lost family and friends,
to those who sacrificed so much to save others,
to those who survived the terrifying day

Is. To. Live!

To not be afraid.
To hug my babies a little longer.
To kiss my husband one more time.
To be in a foreign country and go about my day without fear.
To embrace my friends from other countries without prejudice.
To enjoy life and all of its opportunities.

Terrorism only works when it can cause people to live in fear, when it can scare others into submission, or when it can limit us:
In the things we do.
In the beliefs we live out.
In the dreams we strive to make realities.

So today, though my heart is heavy from remembrance, I will take a few extra deep breaths, run in the rain, love on my family, and LIVE - outrageously, lavishly, and abundantly.