Triumph through Tragedy

Gifts sent to our Troops

A couple years back I wrote a post on our experiences of 9/11, where we were, what we felt, how it affected the country, remembering those who were lost. This year I want to focus on the aftermath. Maybe its because I've experienced personal loss this year to loved ones, that 9/11 hits home this year more than others. It has made me realize that even 18 years later, grief still lives, but grief does not triumph. 

Death does not have the final say. There will be tragedy, there will be loss, there will be suffering...but not forever. 

I think it's important to reach out, not just on anniversaries like this, but throughout the year to those who are suffering. Reaching out to our Troops, to pro-life organizations, to the poor. We have to let tragedy transform into triumph, that even though we are knocked down, it spurs us on to greater gifts.

We don't want to forget days like 9/11, but more importantly we don't want to forget the people who are still suffering from that day now. They should ever be in our prayers, and our nation's needs should ever be in our hearts.

For to triumph means something had to come before...a struggle, pain, grief perhaps. Aftermath generally means the suffering that comes from a tragic incident. Sometimes you feel like you are in a hole. Advice I was recently given was that you can build a ladder out of that hole. Make the rungs things that can help, be it family, friends, prayer, hobbies...and soon you'll be taking that step up one at a time and feeling that triumph.