#322 survivors

After years of trying to convince my sister to join me, I finally made it to the Oklahoma City National Memorial to commemorate the bombing of the Alfred Murrah Federal Building.  It was one of the most moving tributes I have seen, including recognition of those who lost lives and those who survived.  Today, I am reminded of my visit, as it is the 18th anniversary of that act of terrorism.  

What stuck with me most was the entrance to the exhibits.  It depicted the morning of the bombing -- beforehand -- as "a day just like any other."  There is a replica of a lawyer's office where someone is recording a hearing, and moments into it you hear the bomb go off.  It sends chills through visitors, even though the volume and tremors have been subdued.

As we witnessed in Boston, Waco and on a personal level many times over, what starts out as an ordinary day can suddenly, inexplicably and permanently change our lives forever.  

I think of a 1983 quote by Mister Rogers:
When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers.  You will always find people who are helping."  To this day, especially in times of "disaster," I remember my mother's words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers -- so many caring people in this world.

If today is the day that your life is beset by tragedy, accept the love and allow those around you to be helpers.  And if you are fortunate enough to have "a day just like any other", take on the task of being the helper to someone in need.  It's never an ordinary day for everybody.

-- beth triplett
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