Most of you have probably heard me speak about the fact that Samantha began crawling on September 11, 2001. I was feeding her Cheerios when I watched the second tower get hit. Much of the rest of the day is an emotional blur, save for the moment later that day when I realized that, for the first time ever, my Samantha girl was crawling. I remember this knocking the wind out of me. Something so normal as a baby milestone seemed wholly out of place in the new world we were living in. But even then, I realized that her achievement served as a powerful metaphor about the fact that Earth continues to rotate on its axis, seemingly especially when we feel it should pause.
On the morning of this 9/11, I am again the mama of a little one who is not quite yet crawling. Eleanor gets up in downward dog pose, becomes very serious and then goes backwards. Remembering that it was on this day that the world shifted so abruptly, that I also had a little baby determined to crawl and that I was only 18-years-old at the time is mind-blowing. And a little inspiring. If Samantha and I could find our way in the world we lived in immediately post-9/11, I think Eleanor and I can find our way in Trump's America. I couldn't comprehend the world then and I can't adequately comprehend it now... but 17 years ago, I started college and raised a tiny baby alone on no money and found love and made huge mistakes and then got back up again day after day. (It was all very "Wait for It.") Going through this profound transition in my career and while dealing with personal health issues and baby health issues, etc. doesn't really look that different in the grand scheme of things.
I am currently pretty overwhelmed... hence the time between my last post and this one. And I would be lying if I said that I am fine with the pace at which Earth is currently spinning. But it isn't up to me. And even when we wish the world would slow down, wonderful things can happen that remind us of the need to move forward anyway.
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