The "Before"

In late August/early September 2001, I had some friends over for supper. We got together about every six weeks or so, and it was always good to be together. On that late summer evening, I moved tables and chairs out into the backyard. The folding tables were put end to end to make one long table that I covered with a big crocheted bedspread placed over sheets. I think I got out my good china and silver. And candles – lots of candles! Also wine! Supper was ham, potato salad, pimento cheese sandwiches, and something (I’m not sure what) for dessert. We lingered at the table in that sweet twilight, laughing and talking and sharing our lives. Even in the moment, it seemed such a precious time.  

And then a few days later, it was September 11. The towers, and our sense of security, came crashing down. In the space of a morning, it seemed that the world had changed. There was a dividing line between the “before” and the “after.” In the “before” we could get on an airplane without x-rays. Those of other nationalities or faiths were not so overtly demonized. We were not at war. But “after,” a lot was different, and still is. 

But the group of friends that gathered that night in the “before” is still gathering, even the one who is now part of our great cloud of witnesses. We are still laughing and talking and sharing our lives, over Zoom for the most part. A lot has changed, but some of the really important things have not – time spent under the stars, attention to the sacrament of the present moment, laughing with those you love. Every day is precious but all too often we rush through life without noticing. So today: Tell someone you love them. Find something that makes you laugh. Give thanks for all the goodness that surrounds you, even in the midst of terrible times. And say a prayer for all those we lost that day and for those whose losses still loom large.