For those we've loved and lost

Ten years ago, a nine year old sat in her living room in Singapore and watched as the World Trade Center collapsed. I didn't understand what was happening but all I knew was that it was a very bad thing. I didn't go to school the next day and spent the two years I lived in Singapore learning all about terrorism and its atrocities. There is nothing like realizing at the age of nine that your country of origin is far from perfect and that most countries hate it.

A few weeks later, Singapore held a memorial service for the victims of the attacks. Over half of the audience was Muslim men and women who were there to pay their respects. George Bush ruined that when we entered the war.

Now as I watched clips from the memorial service this morning, I began to cry because I finally understood what had happened.

In fifth grade, I remember distinctly that I said that instead of building a new building in the place of the twin towers, that there should be a park built as a memorial to the victims. It's as though the city of New York listened to me. The memorial looks beautiful and I'm glad that they chose to go with a classy and thoughtful remembrance of the people and the towers.

May no other children experience such pain and horrors in the future. May Obama realize that the war in the Middle East is pointless. May the victim's families feel happiness again and may the United States grow stronger from this.

There are many ways to recount our memories of this and I find this one to the the best.

God Bless the victims.



Bye-Bye!