A few weeks after 9/11 I was sitting at an outdoor mall watching some children running through a fountain, squealing with delight. Their laughter was so contagious that as time went on the adults sitting in the area began to smile too. I looked around and it occurred to me that this was the first time since that awful day that we gave ourselves permission to smile again. Recently I was taking a walk to clear my head after feeling haunted by the news and heard some nearby young children laughing so hard that I began to laugh too.
It brought me back to that moment after 9/11 when all hope seemed lost and some beautiful innocence reminded me that where there is life, there is hope. Whether grief is created by a large scale horrific event, news that leaves your heart aching, or smaller painful moments like a relationship problem or a breakup, the best we can do is to stay present to what is happening and to remember who we are.
Michelle Obama once said, “Make decisions based on hope and possibility.” For today I’m focusing on that – hope and possibility.
Here’s to that as we head into the fourth of July this week.
Choose love. Choose you.