Day seventeen: warmth and safety

Today is being flooded with "where were you 10 years ago?" I remember where I was, of course. I was teaching high school English. I was one of only a few teachers who actually taught at the school that day. Most teachers were either in too much shock or just glued to the classroom TV. I continued teaching Lord of the Flies (which was, coincidentally, only too appropriate of a book). When students complained that I was going on with business as usual, I told them that this was my stand: the terrorists were not going to take control of my classroom. At parent/teacher conferences a couple months later, I had several parents say "thank you" for not having the students just watch the TV during my class period.

Today, in church, one gentleman offered up a prayer of thanksgiving that "my son was spared 10 years ago," and he started to cry. He is a strong person and seeing this grief and relief flood through him affected me. It brought me back to the fragility of life more than all the media and FB hype of today.

It is a nice, cool day here in Mississippi. I am thankful. I am thankful for the friends, family, love, and general warmth that surrounds me on a daily basis. I was thinking that I was going to be looking out for something today that represented/captured this feeling. Then, I went into Puck's room and saw her sleeping in the sun. Arm draped casually over the side of her kitty hammock. Just peace, silence, warmth, and security.

May this inner warmth, peace, love, and security be with each of you. May you feel whole.