9/11: Lunch with My Son

I have to admit that I wasn't sure how to acknowledge 9/11.  I didn't know what to do:  I will never forget but I find it very hard to relive.   I didn't want to watch the memorial service and I didn't want to watch the recap videos online.  But I didn't want to be disrespectful either -- I need to give the day its due time.

About halfway through the morning, my 16 year old son asks me if we could have lunch together.  Not completely out of character, but a bit unusual for a Sunday I must say.  I immediately figured that something was wrong and that he needed to talk to me about it.  So we're on our way to lunch, his favorite gourmet pizza place, and he's very talkative.  I'm asking question after question and he's downloading it all.  But nothing is wrong at all.  He just wanted to have lunch.  Ok by me.

I'm not sure how it happened actually, but later in the afternoon I stumbled upon this video and was just drawn to it.  I had been avoiding all the 9/11 content all day, but couldn't help but click on this one from a friend on Facebook.

It's a short film created by a 16 year old boy who lost his Dad on 9/11.  88 and Sunny.  Broke my heart.  And although he's doing "ok", there's not a moment in a day that he doesn't think about his Dad.  I couldn't help but marvel at the lunch I had just had with my son, and how similar these two boys are.  I wish him well and know that he's going to make his Dad proud.

There was a reason I was drawn to this one video.  There was a reason why I needed to see it.

9/11 is such a sad day in our history ... in our own personal history.  I know now that having lunch with my son is the best way to acknowledge it.  Something I plan to repeat often.

What's your experience?  Jim.

Jim Joseph
President of Lippe Taylor
Author of The Experience Effect
Jim Joseph5 Comments