Remembering...

As I watched football yesterday, each game - especially those taking place in New York - had a ceremony at the beginning remembering 9/11/11.  At school, I am constantly reminded that, although this tragic event doesn't seem like long ago to me, our youngest citizens hardly remember it at all.  My current students were only 4 or 5 at the time, and their memories of it are filtered through their innocence - they remember their parents being scared, watching the news all night, and not really understanding what was going on but knowing it was bad.

This year, of course, it meant something new to me, because our little one will only hear stories of that day.  I can't decide how to feel about that - happy, because he or she didn't have to feel the insecurity and sadness that the rest of us felt; sad, because he or she won't understand the relevance of that day, and how everything changed; or neither.  Beyond anything, I hope that our little one will never have to see something as terrifying happen, but chances are good that he or she will.  If that day comes, I pray that he or she has the courage to help others and the wisdom to understand that the actions of a few do not always equal the beliefs of many. 

I also have to say that, starting tomorrow (assuming BabyH cooperates), I won't have to say "he or she" anymore!  Though neither of us have a preference, we can't wait to find out.