The emotional impact of Sep 11 – in memory of those who went too soon

Today marks the 10th anniversary of Sep 11. My thoughts are with the relatives of those who passed away on that eventful day, and of  the thousands of lives lost subsequently as a result of the reaction by certain governments to that event.

It is painful to lose someone close to you. And nothing could be worse than losing them suddenly. You might have had so much to look forward to together, or were too embarrassed to tell them something they needed to know. They could be young with a bright future ahead, or older and depended on for love, guidance and support by their families. To have that ripped away is devastating.

My beautiful mother passed away just over a decade ago, because of cancer.  I kind of anticipated that her time would come, but I had no idea it would come so soon. The final months of her life, to her, must have been a blur of pain, confusion, resignation and anger, but she took the opportunity to set some affairs in order. One day, I came home from school and discovered she was lifeless. I was so shocked I couldn’t cry or react, but I was glad she was no longer suffering.

To lose someone through a tragic incident like 9/11 though… it is completely unexpected – the victim has no time to come to terms with their mortality, and after their loved ones learn about it via a phone call, or worse, reading about it in the paper, they have to drop everything and cope with the practicalities of losing the person, not to mention the emotional and psychological impact. My family had to deal with my father’s sudden and untimely passing when I was a baby, and although any unfinished business was sorted out on his behalf, the lives of those left behind are irreparably changed.

So if you have a moment today, take a moment to reflect on the human impact of this monumental event. We are all probably connected to someone who had been directly affected. I wrote this simple song called ‘Your Spirit Lives On‘ in remembrance of those who left us too soon (OK, the title sounds cheesy but it gets the point across, yeah?). Note: Click the button and get tissues out on the ready.

P.S.:With any kind of loss, there can be gain – depending on your attitude to it. Loss is devastating, and you can wallow in it indefinitely, or – while this may sound insensitive – gradually adjust to the freedom (in whatever sense), learn your lessons, be grateful you are alive and live like you are. Excessive grieving prevents you from appreciating the ones that ARE around, and I feel that you are probably grieving what you missed or could have done, rather than letting them go and believing they are in a better place. There is no recourse. You have to move on – work on your legacy before it’s your turn to go!

They love you and forgive you…