It is unlikely that there is a continent, country, culture or race on this planet that is not represented in the USA. There is no "them and us". The blood of all people run through our collective veins.
My first thoughts when the WTC towers fell on the TV screen before my eyes were a paraphrase of John Donne: No man is an island unto himself, each is a piece of the continent, a part of the mein. Any man's death diminishes me for I am involved in mankind so never send to know for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.
I feel very diminished by the loss of so many. I also feel thankful for the hope that burns because we are a part of each other. One twig can be broken, but, as a bundle, we are strong.
I still believe there is no "them and us." Mama taught me that. She was the strongest person I've known and I lost her last December--she lived through 95 years of terrible wars, the depression and other losses. Up to the end she focused on what she'd found in life not on what she'd lost. We watched TV on September 11 and she related it to other overwhelming events. Then she said, "The biggest way this will change us will be to make us look inside to find a balance of strength and compassion. We will grow."
Just when I realized I lost mama, I found the best parts of her inside me. She'd planted her positive, faithful, practical attitudes in me when I was a little child. She'd nurtured my growth with patience. What we lost on Sept. 11 was huge. What we are finding in ourselves is even greater.
Last updated: 08/17/02