Ten years ago today, I was in class at Sheridan College, having quit work and back at school to retool and go back into the IT field. I recall classes becoming deserted as whispers of a terrible accident surfaced and many of us wandered over to the student union building, where live coverage was being telecast on a huge TV screen. It was here that I saw the 2nd tower being hit - pretty much the same picture as I have included above - and then over the next two hours, the two towers each collapsing. As the brain absorbed the event I viewed the footage being replayed over and over again and tried to make sense of what was happening. Many of us sat spellbound in front of TVs for most of the next 4 or 5 days as we came to terms with what we saw.
I don't think much learning went on at school that week. We were in shock and in disbelief of the magnitude and horror of the attack. That was 10 years ago. The world has changed so much since then in response to this event. Today as we we reflect upon it, I am not sure if we are any more hopeful about our future and our "War on Terror", despite the fact that Osama Bin Ladin has been caught and killed. We are for sure more careful and I am happy when I see the extent of security when I get on a flight. I am hopeful that with the increased vigilance of the authorities, we can be spared of any more horrors as the world witnessed on 9/11.
Bella was a fabulous dog and a great friend and companion. I put together a small photo gallery as a tribute to her life and would invite my friends to visit it and celebrate her life with me. When Bella arrived in July of 2005 she was a tiny puppy and she could not even climb the stairs. She grew to be a very well behaved and wonderfully loving dog.
Each day, when I opened the door she was there to welcome me home and ready for our routine of play time. We would roll around on the floor until finally she would go fetch her treats and sit down to have a chew while went about my "get home from work" routine. Each morning before I left I would give her a few dog buiscuits. She always saved at least one to eat after I got home.
Bella saw me through more than one failed romance during her life. As relationships ended and new loves came afterwards, she was there to console when I pined loves lost and there to make friends as a new suitor arrived.
She and I were a team and we loved one another dearly. I have to thank all my dear friends for their concern and condolences and their understanding of what it means to lose a dog. I am so glad for the love of such wonderful friends. Friends make difficult times easier.
So this week has been a sad one, but moreover it has been a week for me to mark a time of change. While thinking of the changes in my life in the last 10 years, I am also thinking with great anticipation at the changes to take place in the next decade. As you know, this fall I am in full planning mode for my getaway, not only reviewing travel literature and drafting itineraries as I make decisions about where to visit and how long to stay. I will have a lot to occupy my thoughts and keep me busy. When I return from my travels it will be time enough to think about the possibility of a new dog.
As I was sorting through memories and thinking about changes in my life over these last 10 years and the love I have lost with the passing of Bella, and other people who played a role in my life during this last decade and who no longer do, it struck me that we have great capacity to love and to love again. We don't know what is around the next corner. Two weeks ago I would could not have imagined that Bella would be gone. Maybe what happens next will be bad, like the loss of a dog, but maybe it will be good like the arrival of a grandchild. (I am thinking of my friend Barb here who is expecting her first grandchild at the end of the year). Once a new love arrives, we don't forget our old loves, but the new love helps us to move on.
I wanted to end this blog with something uplifting. Music always lifts my spirit and I thought of a song which always makes me feel good when I listen to it. The song also expresses the hope and the cure for all our woes. The simple message in this song is wonderful and so apt. I am sure will make everyone reading this blog smile and feel just a little bit better.
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