September 11th.....again and again

Twelve years ago I was living in Brooklyn, with my former husband Ed. I'll never forget that moment when the NPR news radio station we were listening to went dead. We knew then that the towers had fallen. My husband--a newsman himself--immediately left in order to get into NYC (even though all entry points were blocked) and to his office. He spent the rest of the week filming carnage and interviewing survivors while I stayed at home alone and wept for my city and all her people.

A few months after the towers fell, I left NYC and my marriage and my job and even my dog and moved to a Buddhist retreat center. I knew things had to change, and that the change had to start with myself. But that's another story....

I'll never forget how silent the city was after September 11th, and how connected everyone felt, even though our connection was based on horror and sorrow. Cab drivers stopped honking their horns; everyone made eye contact. There was so much oneness and so much love. I don't think that feeling of oneness has necessarily gone away. I do think the world has changed--dare I say for the better?

Think of how many people have embraced spiritual teachings these days. And how much kirtan there is. There are yoga studios on every block and in every town. People are truly remembering that All Are One.

It's tragic that so many lives were lost on that day, and that the motivations for those attacks were ignorance and hatred. My heart still bleeds for those who lost loved ones and suffered trauma. I hope everyone continues to heal and grow. We are all with you.