Life is so short, and it’s so important to be kind to those around us. And when you focus on the goodness in people, well, it just makes life a little bit sweeter. :)

Great post. All too often it’s easy to get sidetracked by the “me-ism” of society and we need reminders like Sept. 11th to bring us back to reality.

I’ll be visiting NYC in the spring, first because I have never been there, but also to pay my deepest felt respects at the memorial at Ground Zero. I think about the people who died that day, just going off to work, living their lives, which were cruelly and senselessly snuffed out. To live our lives to the fullest, to give back, and to show kindness in a stressful world, is the best way to honor their memory.

After the memorial, I’ll celebrate being in NYC with a Broadway show. Seems like a fitting way to enjoy a once and still beautiful, one of a kind city.

We had a speaker at church last week who was a NYC Cop for twenty years and trained a lot of the officers who died on 9/11. He remarked, “we must all be ready – for tomorrow is not promised.”
He stressed the importance in remembering those who lost family members and loved ones on that day and their continual grief.

I can relate to Amy and the “life lessons” she mentioned. I too have been through a lot challenges lately – they always seems to come in one big heap! So weird!

I appreciate your call to action Heather to move beyond the fear and passionately embrace life. You are an inspiring mentor! Go out and enjoy NYC today!

I, too, was in New York City about two months after the attacks. My heart ached when I saw the walls of missing persons fliers. But, there was definitely a sense of community in what was once a large, impersonal city. We even took a moment to stop and thank a police officer we saw. It just felt right.

Oddly enough, they are lessons that I have been paying attention to more lately. I don’t know if it was the anniversary of 9-11 or the fact that there has been a lot of (let’s call it) “not great” things happening to people in my life these days (including breakups, deaths, cancer diagnoses, and many other issues), but I have tried to treat people – those I love and those I don’t even know – better.

There IS goodness everywhere – if you look for it. I’m sure we’ve all seen the “People of Walmart” website and pictures. I know that I have made Walmart references before too. However, one a recent trip to my local Walmart, I needed a car battery. Since I was only buying one thing, I didn’t grab a cart (forgetting that car batteries can weigh about 40 pounds). I struggled to the express lane (too stubborn to go back for a cart) and as soon as I walked up, the guy in front of me, told me to go in front of him. I thanked him and stood holding my battery. There was a couple in front of me, but when it was their turn, the wife saw me and told her husband to let me go first. It may have been a little thing to these people, but it meant the world to me. It also reminded me to “pay it forward” and I made sure I looked for opportunities to extend the same courtesies to others when I could.

Thanks for the post. Have fun in NYC!