For me, personally, September is a month of Remembrance.

I remember… 💔

On September 11, 2001, I was just arriving at work at an adult daycare center in Arlington, MA. I was trying to find a parking space when the radio announced the first plane had crashed. I knew our clients would be watching the news on tv, so I parked (illegally) and ran into the building to shut down the tvs. It was a very tough few weeks at work afterwards. Most of our clients had Alzheimer’s disease and thought that the tragedy was JUST happening, EVERY time they saw it on the news. We had to stop doing daily current events. The tvs were all removed from the rooms. A few of our clients were frail, but mentally sharp and wanted & needed to talk about it. To protect our other clients, I was often asked, as an Activity Assistant, to spend some time with those folks in a closed off area to discuss the situation. Their fears and memories were heartbreaking to me because they remembered living through the horrors of previous wars.
It was extremely difficult to go to work every day with a smile on my face from 9-3, but we all did it to protect our elders.
I remember… 💔

With all of the ceremonies and tributes to honor those lost on 9/11, I would like to remind everyone about the brave men and women that are working 24/7/365 to prevent this horror from ever happening again. Thank you to all of the members of our military. Thank you to our police officers and firefighters and all first responders. I will never forget 9/11, but I will also never forget those who live the motto: “Home of the Free because of the Brave”.

I researched this photo. It was verified by snopes.com as authentic. It was taken at Fort Snelling Military Cemetery in Minneapolis, MN in 2011. The amateur photographer was Frank Glick. I love this photo and the symbolism it represents.

This week, I’ve also been thinking a lot about my Mom. She died on September 7, 1999 & not a single day has gone by since, that I haven’t thought of her.

I love & miss you, Mom, more today than yesterday, but not as much as tomorrow.

**I spent some time with Mom (& Dad) on September 7th.**

On September 13th, 2006, my beloved Shadow earned her wings and flew to Rainbow Bridge. She was my loyal companion from February 2, 1995 until September 13, 2006. She was at least 12 1/2 years old, but was still very much a puppy until the end of her life.
I think of her and miss her every day, but I’m forever grateful that she worked her magic to connect me with Maddie. I adopted Maddie on September 12, 2009 – exactly three years (minus 1 day) after Shadow left.
Shadow puppy, you will live forever in my heart and memories.