'HOPE' NOT TRAGEDY DEFINES WHO WE ARE

SUFFICE TO SAY YESTERDAY WAS PAINFUL FOR AMERICA. OUR COLLECTIVE HEARTS WERE BROKEN TEN YEARS AGO WITH THE EVENTS OF 9/11. ONE BABE AMONG US HERE LOST THE LOVE OF HER LIFE.

Tears streamed down my face in front of the TV yesterday as I watched a fellow babe here courageously take the podium at Ground Zero and read a portion of the list of tragic names that included her husband. I can only imagine her personal pain.

What has always kept this particular babe and I connected through the years since we first met, back in high school, is our shared sense of humor.

We both keenly know that life presents tragedy and humor is often what we must rely on to get us through and survive. Where you ask could the  humor possibly be in this occasion?

Well I texted her a couple of times this week to let her know she was in my thoughts and I was deeply sorry she would be reliving her own personal nightmare. She responded she will relive it every day for the rest of her life.

She told me by text she would be reading at the ceremony and I wished her strength.

I texted her right after I watched her on TV to share my tears and to let her know she was clear, cool, collected, confident, commanding and compassionate, and that her husband was proud above.

She texted back her appreciation for my words and announced she was going to bed from blind exhaustion. But not before she added one final line typical of our friendship.  Did I look fat?  followed by lolololol. 

That one line lightened the sorrow for a second for us both.

A small set of words and letters strung together to bring lightness to the darkness.

A small amusing gesture to let me know her hope is still alive in her heart. 

Hope not tragedy defines who we are as individuals.

Hope not tragedy defines who we are as a nation.

This picture you see here is taken from a parking lot at a park near my home. On that fateful day ten years ago from this exact spot the smoke could be seen billowing miles away and a distinct nauseating stench from the disaster was in the air. I decided that day, in a personal ongoing tribute to those tragically lost, that every day forward I would park my car in that lot facing in a complete opposite direction away from that sore site. I have done it every time since then.

The other day I took this photo of where the smoke billowed in the distance ten years ago. It speaks for itself.

There may be more of you babes here personally affected by the 9/11 tragedy and for that we are deeply saddened and send a warm group hug and a reminder we are here to add lightness to any darkness that may come your way.

Debbie Nigro