innocence is bliss

Tonight we sat on the couch as a family, ate fresh from the oven oatmeal raisin cookies and watched 9/11- Ten Years Later. We talked to Ryan about the firemen as there were lots of them shown. I told him they were so strong and brave and he agreed. His sweet little soul could not comprehend what was happening in that film and I was grateful at that moment for his innocence.

To him all grown ups are strong, brave, and good. Everything is happy and everyone is safe. He knows not of the darkness and evil that dwells in this world. It will be my daunting task to someday teach him of the events of this day, this 9/11, and try to explain to him how people could chose so poorly and hurt so many. That they could go against all the many things we have been teaching him since he took his first breath.

But there is a glimmer of hope, I also get to teach him that people really can be super heroes. That they can be selfless and push through obstacles no one thought possible before they were looking at it, square in its big ugly face. I get to explain to him that on that day so many people lost their lives to serve and protect others, some they knew but most they didnt. He will learn that there are so many grown ups that really are strong, brave, and good. Then we will have a nice talk about how he can be that great too, that he is already on the road to becoming an everyday super hero. I am sure there will be some presentation of an super hero cape with a giant R on it as well.

But for now we will talk about how firemen and police men are strong and brave and we are so grateful for them and that's it. We will go on to have bedtime stories and sing songs about Elmo and hot dogs til the little two year old eyes are too heavy to keep open any longer and I lay his long lanky body in his crib for a peaceful night of sleep. Peaceful and safe because of all those other brave, selfless souls out there who will stop at nothing to keep it that way for us.