“Not all of us can do great things.  But we can do small things with great love.” ~ Mother Teresa.

I suppose for most of us over 30, it is not difficult to remember where you were 25 years ago today.  I was at home, having been off the night before, watching my usual morning dose of ‘Golden Girls’ and whatever other reruns were on at that time of day.  I was not, at that time, a cable news junkie.  At least I don’t think so.  I would have gone on watching my shows, had I not decided to call in to work and speak to the Staffing Coordinator.  He sounded distant, disconnected, not responding to my teasing as he usually would.  When I asked why, he asked if I was watching the TV. Yes, I answered, Golden Girls! No, he told me, you have to see this, a plane just flew into the Trade Center.  And once I changed channels, it all went silent.

For those at the epicenter, the experience was far louder, far more shocking, far more intense.  Some years later as I was making my supervisory rounds at night, I noticed a nurse on the phone when she should have been out passing medications, assessing her patients before they went to sleep.  She was trying to make sure that a family member had made it home.  I suggested that she shouldn’t worry so much, they would be fine, and meanwhile she was sending her own blood pressure up by calling over and over again.  You don’t understand, she told me.  She had lost a family member in the Twin Tower attacks, and whenever she was unable to get a hold of someone, it all came flooding back.  She could take nothing for granted any more.  I was silent. 

It is the silence I remember, also.  No air traffic for two days.  It added to the feeling of unreality, this could not have happened.  But it had.  And in the stories that unfolded over time we heard of the heroism of individuals; the courage of those who looked out for others; the dedication of the first responders; the generosity of everyday New Yorkers as they looked out for each other. And the leadership of George W., a man many of us did not look up to, but who knew how important it was to differentiate between the perpetrators of the attack, and people who may have shared their religious beliefs.  How different might it have been if our current president had been at the helm?  It does not bear thinking.

It is good for us to think about the role of the US in the world, and the actions which are taken in our name.  We have currently set fire to the world order, have stirred up antagonism through unfair trade practices and unnecessary wars.  And, as Malcolm X said many years ago, the chickens will come home to roost.  All around the world we see evidence of man-made climate change.  Nepal, a country which contributes 0.1% of the world’s global emissions is surrounded by countries which do far more damage.  But it is Nepal who is paying the price.  So long as those disasters, those wars, are taking place far from our shores, we can turn a blind eye.

But it is up to us to hold our leaders, our policymakers accountable, and for citizens in a democracy, that means exercising your right to vote.  It also means expressing your opinions through peaceful protests, through petitions, and through contacting your representatives.  We have a voice, but we must use it.

Here in South Florida, we look at September with hope for relief from the steamy days of summer.  Those who have lived here for more than a decade can detect a drop of just a few degrees, a few percentages of humidity, and breathe in the early morning air and say, yes, the cooler days are coming.  To an outsider we might seem crazy, but for those of us who live here year-round, we delight in even the slightest change in our highs and lows.  Even though we are not surrounded by mountains, we are entertained by cloudscapes that sometimes mimic a mountain range, deep blue-gray banks with hazy clouds on top giving the appearance of some mystical mountains.  With our everchanging weather, a brilliant rainbow will pierce through the clouds, as the sun chases the rain away.  And morning and evening we can be distracted by bursts of pinks and oranges and deep reds, as the rising or setting sun paints our sky.

So yes, we remember September, and mourn with those who have lost loved ones.  But we also rejoice in the constancy of nature, who despite all that we do to disrespect her, reassures us that the universe existed long before we came along, and will do so long after we have self-destructed. 

Last weekend we celebrated with like-minded individuals at our annual fund-raising events.  It was glorious to see friends who attended school together greet each other like family, for we are a family.  Unlike the US tradition of holding reunions for ‘class of…’, our events cross eras and decades, so that you will see some who graduated in the 60s partying with youngsters who graduated in this century.  But the common memories of that beautiful city on the hill, a campus set midst the hills of Clarendon, Jamaica, transcends other divisions.  And although a stranger may see a group of middle-aged (and older) people, with arthritic hips and knee replacements, we see each other as teenagers, with all the potential ahead of us. 

This weekend, although fighting a cold, I am happy to know that the love we feel for each other and our alma mater will generate funds to assist the next generation of future past students.  It is humbling to read their scholarship applications, and to know the challenges they face.  But if what we do can help them achieve their goals, then it is worth it. And we do it with great love.

This Friday morning, I hope you can identify what it is you do with great love, not for awards or acknowledgment, but just to know that you have made a difference in this world.  And I hope that we can change the way we are living on this planet, to help ensure that our children and grandchildren can continue to enjoy and appreciate the beauty which surrounds us.

Have a wonderful weekend, Family!

One Love!

Namaste.