Twenty year anniversary of 9/11…

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No photo we could post today would be of any significance on this sorrowful day.

This morning, as I stepped outdoors to see at least eight wild animals in the garden, I was reminded of how fortunate we are. Thoughts of 9/11 flooded my mind as I sat at the table and reminisced with Tom as to where we were that day in 2001, and the moment we discovered the news, and how devastated and angst-ridden we were for many days and months to follow.

No, we didn’t lose anyone we loved in the devastation, but surely each of us in the US and many throughout the world felt the immense sorrow coupled with fear for the future. Now, as we’ve traveled, we’ve found that many in other countries have expressed the impact it had on their lives as well.

And for those who lost loved ones, co-workers, and friends, we offer our heartfelt condolences over your loss and the lingering sorrow you must still be feeling 20 years later. That type of grief never leaves us, imprinting an image we can’t erase, even as the years pass.

Glued to the TV for weeks, none of us could escape the horrific scenes, replayed over and over, each time, creating more profound wounds while escalating the fears associated with this terrible event in history. Time doesn’t heal these wounds, especially for those who lost someone they loved or even knew.

And for the first responders, many of whom have passed away from the ravages caused by their heroic involvement and support during the nightmarish event, and many with lingering and devastating health consequences, that have taken away their quality of life, as well as that of their loved ones and caregivers.

We offer condolences for the loved ones, co-workers, and friends and the children, now grown, who were never allowed to know their parent who was snatched away on this date, 20 years ago.

And now, today, we are entrenched in another disaster of epic proportions, whether you “believe” the numbers of lost soles or not, to Covid-19, an entirely different kind of devastation that has impacted millions throughout the world. These lives are no less significant and meaningful to loved ones than those lost on September 11, 2001.

When we were in lockdown for ten months in Mumbai, India, we watched in horror footage on the news of intubated Covid-19 patients lying on army cots in parking lots when all the hospitals were filled, and there was no alternative for these sick patients. This was a devastation that, in my heart and mind, impacts me very similarly to 9/11. People were lost. People loved them.

Today, it was impossible to post a few animal photos and share the infinitesimal details of our lives when we were experiencing this profound date…9/11 and the past 20 months with the loss of 4,632,374 people worldwide Covid-19. We can believe these numbers or choose not to, but the reality remains that now, few of us have not been personally impacted by the loss of life, the changed manner in which we live our lives, and the uncertainty of times to come.

Regardless of an illness, an accident, a crime, or an injustice, every lost life matters to someone who knew and loved them. Today, we bow our heads in quiet contemplation over the loss of those souls. At the same time, we all thank God, our higher power, the universe, or whatever one believes, for the gift of life, the opportunity to heal, and the realization of our purpose in this world and to one another.

May we all find peace in this “touchless’ society in which we now live and reach out to one another in our hearts.

Photo from one year ago today, September 11, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago while in hotel lockdown for ten months in Mumbai, India, on day #172. We spotted these flowers in Kenya in 2013, known as Plumeria, also known as Frangipani, also grown in Hawaii, where we were 15 months later. For more photos, please click here.

Remembering 9/11…15 years ago…

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Citizens of the United States are sadly aware that today is the 15 year anniversary of the devastation and loss of lives on 9/11, that changed life as we knew it forever.

We extend our heartfelt sympathies and prayers for the families and friends whose loved ones were lost, leaving sorrowful memories that will remain in  the hearts and minds of generations to come.

For the rest of us, we’ll always recall the day, the time, the place we stood as we watched the events over and over in a state of horror from wherever we may have been at the time, a memory deeply ingrained in all of us.

To the firefighters, the paramedics and all other rescue personnel, whether professionals or passersby, we extend our gratitude and love for all that you risked, all that you gave and all that you continue to carry deep in your souls for the remainder of your lives.

Who among us, personally untouched by the events of the day can even grasp the magnitude of the loss suffered by so many, the loss of loved ones and for many, the loss of a dream they’d expected and hoped to fulfil with those that slipped through their fingers on one fateful day?

There remains a vast number of rescuers who have since lost their fight for life who suffered severe illnesses from residual effects from the toxicity inflicted upon their bodies on that day and for many days to come, as rescue effort continued for weeks. We offer of deepest condolences for their suffering and the subsequent suffering of their family members and friends.

There are few Americans that weren’t emotionally changed on that day and for days and years to come, as we were all bombarded with horrifying images on the news that will be emblazoned in our minds forever.

There is no story in our simple, uncomplicated lives of world travel that warrant telling today. Thus, today we’re posting a few photos and no “Sightings on the Beach in Bali.” We’re including our “year ago photo” to maintain the continuity of the dates.

May all of us bow our heads in reverence and prayer for those who lost their lives, for those who were left behind and for those who bravely and unselfishly risked  and lost their lives to save the lives of others.

May we all remember this day forever and strive for peace and harmony in this uncertain world. Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, September 12, 2015 (the 11th in the US)

The first night in Fiji, one year ago, the bed was infested with thousands of ants. The next day, the owner replaced the mattress, pillows, beddings and fumigated the bedroom. We never had the problem again in the bedroom during the three months in Savusavu although there were ants everywhere else in the small house. For more details, please click here.