I could still remember vividly the day the World Trade Center was attacked on that September morning in 2001. Seven years have passed and yet the images and emotions that swirled inside me have not gone away completely. I have often asked, what could have been done to prevent the events of that fateful day? I suppose many things, but there were only a few that were even in my own control – like how I feel about people. One thing is certain, the world has never been the same since.
Starting today, let us work on things that we can control. I submit that 9-11 was a product of man’s self-loathing and lack of respect for the sanctity of life. There are three things that we can do to alter the paradigm. As a matter of tradition, we should find a way to reach out to someone in our life whom we have lost track with or simply have not communicated with in the past. We will try to usher an era of understanding. There cannot be understanding without communication.
First, write a letter to someone you have not seen or heard from in a long while – a friend, a colleague, a classmate etc. Draft your letter with your computer but when you are done, handwrite your letter. This is essential because anything that you create with your own hands has the power to touch a person’s heart. Limit your letter to one page and mail it within the next few days.
Second, from this point forward, you will promise yourself (not anyone else) that you will make a conscious effort to stop the act of terminating life – be it a bug, a bee, a fly or anything that you can crush with your feet with (snails). The exception will be for those that you will need to nourish your body. You cannot kill anything that you will not eat. If you find an insect or bug in your house, simply flag it out the window or door. I have been doing this for many years and find that I unshackle myself from the misperception that a small animal no more than the size of my nails can bring me significant harm. There are always exceptions – we leave that to your own discretion.
Third, show your child how to value life by being a great example. One day while my daughter was still young, she called me screaming that she saw a spider. I found a harmless “daddy-long-legs” spider. I grew up in the Philippines and was always around insects and bugs and I used to play with spiders so it didn’t bother me. I told her that the spider is my friend. As a defensive weapon, the “daddy-long-legs” will vibrate up and down to make it appear bigger to an adversary. So, I inched my finger to touch one of its legs and when I did, it made that vibrating movement that made it appear as though he was shaking my hands. “See, Bambina”, I told my daughter. “You mustn’t be afraid because he is my friend, and he's shaking my hands”.
You don’t have to do the exact same thing. You can simply have a walk with your child and when you come upon a snail, show your child how to pick it up and move it to a safe place so it doesn’t get crushed by cars or pedestrians. Little things like that will make an indelible impression on a child and teach them how to value life. I would suggest to you that person who can value the life of a lowly snail will likely not pick up a weapon to hurt another human being in anger.
That is how we can honor those whose lives were lost on that fateful day. But do not get me wrong. We should always go after terrorists and others who wish to inflict harm on other people and bring them to justice.
