Each year, on this haunting anniversary of 9/11/01, we all remember where we were. And all of us, who are lucky enough to post about it on Facebook, have lived rich, full lives since that day. We have held our loved ones close, and we have argued with them, and we have made up–or not. We are the lucky ones. We have tried new things, we have failed at some. We have made money, lost money, downsized, up-sized, been promoted or fired. We have taken our freedom for granted, we have appreciated it.

These are the things I did today, all the while humbled by the knowledge that, 11years ago, terrorists robbed many, many families of such simple, satisfying pleasures:
Kissed my husband & kids good morning.
Took my boys to school.
Watched Seth show off his mastery of the monkey bars.
Laughed my way through a butt-kicking workout with friends.
Counseled a friend on coping with pet loss.
Picked up Seth, took him to lunch, the playground, his K enrichment class, talked to an old friend on the phone, talked to my mom on the phone.
Picked up Lance, then Seth & his playdate.
Listened to Superfudge, by Judy Blume in the car as the kids giggles escalated. Made snacks.
Played Candyland & Battleship.
Broke up three wrestling matches. Begged for a little quiet. Yelled, “Stop That” and “Bedtime!” at least four times. Read Hop on Pop.

…There are countless civilians and soldiers whose families have been forever fractured. And, yes, military families living through the stress of deployment. And then, there’s my little family…and today I may have succeeded in not taking my life & freedom for granted. How was your day?