I remember

It's September 11. Fourteen years after I woke up to my alarm clock radio telling me the second tower had collapsed. I remember.

But I think Jeremy said earlier today - he's avoiding media in general today because WE REMEMBER and we dwell on death.

I remember. I also remember where I was when the Challenger exploded. (8th grade, first period concert band.)

I remember.

But instead of dwelling on that, today I'm going to remember other things instead of dwelling on death.

I remember walking down the path with my brother in his zoot suit, up to marry my husband (13 years?!).
I remember sitting on the kitchen floor in our rented house in a sports bra and shorts while the 3 guys I lived with stripped out of shirts because we had the little AC unit in the window and it was the only room in the place that was below 100 degrees and HOLY COW SO HOT.
I remember the smile on my daughter's face as she walked into her kindergarden classroom for the first time.
I remember holding both of my children for the first time, welcoming them to this crazy, mixed up, insane and still awesome world.
I remember my son, SO EXCITED to get his new glasses, just like his big sister.
I remember 3 little girls sitting in a row, belting out "Let it go" at the tops of their lungs in the back of my car.
I remember how my son likes to make sure everyone's hug meter is at 100% and that squeezy hugs are worth 20% of your battery.
I remember traveling around Europe with 3 guys in a borrowed car, finding that every Chinese restaurant had a McDonalds next door (bring on the McFu meal!)
I remember Colleen pulling out the fake tears talking to the harbor authority the morning of her wedding because some yacht club was going to be setting off FREAKING CANNONS during her wedding ceremony. (totally oscar-worthy on her part)
I remember my friends cartwheeling home through the sprinklers, losing their shoes =)

Sure - these things don't shape the collective consciousness of an entire country, but they shape MINE.

Maybe if we all remembered more of these, we'd let the others shape us a little less.