My daughter's journal entry, 9-11-01

TracyB,RN, RN · Sep 12, 2001

Zee, I didn't catch how old your daughter is. This whole thing is just so sad. My 4 yr old is being sheltered from this horror, while my 12 yr old wants to know why someone would do such a thing. I am having a hard time answering her, other than telling her that whoever did this is mentally ill & that I will always do everything I can to protect our family. We all have so much to worry about with drugs, alcohol, gangs, now we have terrorism. All we can do is pray & hope it helps.

TracyB,RN, RN · Sep 12, 2001

Zee, This whole thing is just so sad. My 4 yr old is being sheltered from this horror, while my 12 yr old wants to know why someone would do such a thing. I am having a hard time answering her, other than telling her that whoever did this is mentally ill & that I will always do everything I can to protect our family. We all have so much to worry about with drugs, alcohol, gangs, now we have terrorism. All we can do is pray & hope it helps. But I am so glad that your daughter is able to write her feelings & share them with you.

jschut, BSN, RN · Sep 12, 2001

It is so sad that the world can inflict so much fear and sadness on our children that we are supposed to love and protect.

In my Prayers,

Julie

oramar · Sep 12, 2001

Your older daughter is coping well under the circumstances. How about you other kids. How did you handle it?

Zee_RN, BSN, RN · Sep 12, 2001

Well, that was one of my triplet daughters, age 11. No older kids, just them.

I picked them up at school yesterday at 11AM and told them America had been attacked and that a plane went down in Grandma's town. They were, of course, terrified initially. They watched the TV and were horrified (I did NOT let them watch the jumping; for that matter, I cannot watch it).

And my children prayed. And we prayed. And then I reassured them that it was over (Lord, I pray). That the plane that went down here was accidental; it was not intended for here--I had to reassure them that they were safe. That the USA would not let another thing like this happen again and that our Armed Forces were at FULL FORCE and that nothing could get through. Obviously, I cannot guarantee any of these things but children need to hear those things. I told them their job was to get their homework done and worry about what to wear for "Picture Day" today. And they slept well last night. And I prayed some more...

oramar · Sep 12, 2001

I do not know why Zee I thought your three girls were 6 or 7. I do not know how you would handle this with kids that age. I spent sometime with my sisters 4 year old today and this just seems to be blowing by him. I think a child 2 years older would understand much more and be more frightened.

Jenny P · Sep 12, 2001

My nephew is 9 and very frightened by all of this. He's actually my cousin's son (her folks raised us when my Mom died, so she's like my sister & I call her that). Last night returning from a prayer service in their small town, he was very silent until he finally asked his Mom how many things like this his Grandma had lived through. She thought a minute and said: "Well, she's 87, and lived through WW1, the Great Depression, WW2, the Korean War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, President Kennedy's assasination, the Vietnan War, Chernoyl nuclear disaster, the Gulf War, and now this."

That seemed to comfort Leland, to know that people can live through disasters and wars and still believe in God and that there is goodness in the world.

Remember, we can overcome this too. Let your children know that they are loved, hug them tight and make them feel safe. This may shake our feelings of security and safety and trust, but children need to feel their world is still safe.

I pray for all of the the victims and their families, may God hold them close to his heart and comfort them.

Peace.