Kid's spray park in our neighborhood




























































Kai's homemade playdough.































This is our neighborhood pool. It has a pretty cool waterslide.

Remembering September 11th

My maternal grandfather recently passed away. In reflecting on what I knew of him and his life, I felt that his survival of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th 1941 seemed to define his life. I recall him telling the story of the sinking of his ship the USS West Virgina and of swimming to shore and even of helping friends who were not strong swimmers to shore. I remember him saying that he brought bodies of friends who perished to shore. Initially after the attack, his mother was told that he had died. His hometown paper even printed his obituary but his mother refused to believe that he was dead. Her gut feeling was right. My grandfather survived. My mother tells me that her father would wake her and her siblings early every December 7th and remind them of Pearl Harbor and tell them never to forget the attack on Pearl Harbor. He went on to lead the Texas Chapter of the Pearl Harbor Survivors and to preserve the memories of that day and to remember those that died.

On 9-11 I was on my way to my first class of the day at SLU law when I heard that a plane had "clipped" a building in New York. By the time I was back in my car after class on my way to work I was hearing that both towers had collapsed. I remember when I heard in real time that a plane had struck the Pentagon. I remember thinking, "This can't be real. How is this happening?" I was in such shock I wanted to pull over and cry. That was the moment where I felt the most fear. I believe that in my own life, 9/11 forever changed my whole perspective and sense of safety and security.

As a child I thought my grandfather's old war stories were told to entertain or for my grandfather to relive some adventure of his youth. After, 9-11 I understood much more deeply the feelings of Americans on Dec 7th 1941 when America was under attack on our own soil. I understood their drive to do all that was necessary so the events of that day would never happen again and their drive to never let that day be forgotten. I thought today, while watching the 9-11 remembrance ceremonies: I hope my children never experience the emotions we experienced as individuals and as a country on that day. This is all the more reason why we should never let that day be forgotten.

I hope my grandfather and those that died on 9-11 rest in peace.