You got up that morning a little sorry you could no longer enjoy your dreams, the comforting warmth of your bed

There were things to take care of--make yourself presentable, feed yourself, the kids, maybe a pet

You went over in your head something you needed to take care of that day--someone to speak to, something to acquire

And a future event pestered you gently--make a big purchase or decision in your life

You worried like you always do--am I okay? The kids, my pet, the ones I love?

Then straightened a thing or two, locked up, and then departed

Time to fight traffic again

Most of the journey a blur

Things on your mind--something startled you, something caught your eye

But you made it for the most part without incident

Rehearsing your day as it was starting

Things were normal--more or less

You seldom let big things worry you without cause

There are enough things to do in life without getting bogged down worrying about the inevitable

It's a better thing to dream about your future than to worry about your end

You had things to do and you were already starting to think a little about lunch

Abruptly, things went crazy. Only God knew what was happening

The end of the world--or just the end of yours?

For some it was sudden, for others it was way too slow

We were alerted gradually--some right away trying to reach others and let them know

We worried about our loved ones and ourselves

We couldn't imagine it from your point of view and tried not to

Your pain was our pain regardless and while rallied, we still felt overwhelmed

Many launched themselves to action

Many of them were never seen alive again

We hunkered beneath the weight of grief and repercussion

Some lashed out blindly, some did more bad than good

It's taken time for us to gather back our senses

It still stuns us and we, wounded, seek relief

But where do you turn when something like this happens?

We realize it is only ourselves who can do the most good

If only we had guidance...if only we had foresight

If only we knew peace

It is a better thing to dream about your future, but be prepared in some way for the end

And so, forewarned, we must trudge bravely forward

Living our lives, each morning beginning just like yours

We will not forget you, for it is folly to take for granted all the heroes and the victims of the past

There was nothing vain about your deaths--we continue to learn from them

About ourselves, our Faith, and the behaviors of our fellow men

And, hopefully, we may find a way to ease

That feeling, deep within, that it could end suddenly, for any one of us, at any given time

The tragedy is that it is so