Sunday, September 11, 2011

September 11 Tribute
Dear friends,

     Ten years ago on this day, in the early hours of the morning, I was crossing over the bridge into Manhattan when I suddenly heard my late mother's voice: "Do not go into the city. Go home, put on the TV." Being accustomed to hearing the voices of spirits who had passed on, I knew better than to defy my mother's advice from the other side. At the first opportunity, I turned the car around and crossed the bridge back towards my home. I rushed to turn on the TV and my husband, who was heading out to work, could not understand why I had come back home. I asked him to sit with me on the couch and watch the news, insisting that I felt something was going to happen. A few minutes later, my jaws dropped as the words "Breaking News" flashed across the screen and announced that a plane had just crashed into one of Manhattan's twin towers.    

     Ten years later today, we remember those who were senselessly murdered, those who died rescuing others, and the families they left behind. Let's honor them by remembering the power of unity which brought us healing and strength during such painful times and the flood of love that poured forth following the horrific attacks of 9/11. We demonstrated the greatest abilities of the human heart following the greatest tragedy to hit our nation, and that ever-powerful sense of unity got us through it all.

     Watching disaster strike on that faithful day of September, I felt as if I was... as if I was living a nightmare. Everything felt so surreal. I was going through the motions in sheer disbelief of what I was seeing and hearing. What truly impressed me was the love and unity that arose from the ashes of that gruesome day. It proved to me once again that we can conquer any troubles on our shoes by showing endless compassion for others in need.

     It was through comforting and healing others that we found comfort within us and were able to heal ourselves. It was through our hearts being broken that we expanded our love. The greatest lesson out of 9/11 was the danger of separation. We suddenly became aware of the danger of teaching any religion that does not promote love, unity, and acceptance, the danger of seeing others as less than ourselves, and what can come out of failing to realize that we are one. It is by dehumanizing another person that someone can commit a hideous crime without empathy such as murdering one person or, in the case of 9/11, thousands of human beings. This is the danger when any human being feels superior to another, feels entitled to more than another, feels that his or her way is better than any other and the only way to live by. This mentality pushes for conflict among us and will never allow us to gather in the commonalities we all share. If we continue to see only the differences among us, we will never reach the universal harmony we are meant to reach as a whole people. As I describe in my new book, Wholeliness, we can only change our future by bridging the gaps between us right now.

     Let's truly honor those whose lives were taken by continuing to spread that love and unity, not only on this day but every day! Let us celebrate every moment with which we were blessed and capture every opportunity to do good for our world. We must continue to persevere and evolve together by always remembering that WE ARE ONE. 

     Today, I will remember September 11 by lighting candles in my home to give light to the souls who passed on. I ask that you remember September 11 in your own special way and perform a random act of kindness for someone else.

May the Divine Bless You All,
Carmen Harra

1 comment:

Bach said...

I feel people need to move on from 911...its been ten years, how many more years do we have to hear about it..get over it. More innocent people have died as a result after 911 and there is no mention of it anywhere....the world has to tune in to the propaganda media machine in America, a one off event that yes was horrific at that time...... countries and people throughout the world go through much worse and have no choice but to get on with it within days and years....get a life, let the families move on in their own time fair enough but the rest of us move on for 'lifes' sake.