Thank You For Life!

September 11, 2001 was a day of death and destruction, filled with hatred and anger.
The day after turned out to be a celebration of life.
Yes, it was a day of grief and sorrow but also an unadulterated awareness
of how precious and precarious life is,
of how life is given freely and, because of that, so many things become possible,
Of how we all share a common responsibility to preserve and protect life.

I remember the generous outpouring of love for all those who perished.
I remember the heroism of all those who responded,
some even to the point of losing their own lives.
I remember the touching and moving stories of people
responding to the tragedy.
I remember how the world stood as one in mourning what was lost that day.

The deepest longing of man is for life, light and love.
The works of the devil are darkness, death and doom.
This may be a stark simplification of life given that
life is very complex and often comes in shades of grey.
But living a life while sharing blessings transforms
the greys into a motley of vibrant colors.
I bless people when I wish them good in their lives,
work to bring them good things,
and share whatever good and goods I have.
I curse people when I treat them with hatred, anger and exclude them.
I pray that I be a force for goodness and blessings
and not an agent of darkness, death and doom.