The other night I watched a television special about children who lost a parent on September 11th, 2001. I cried through-out the entire show.
There were several videos shown of young children enjoying special moments with their fathers. No-one could have possibly realized how important these moments captured on video would eventually become.
One father was shown dancing and singing with his three young daughters… a fun ritual daddy and daughters shared before bedtime. Almost ten years later, one of the daughters expresses, ” We never danced or sang those songs again!”
In another family, a daughter travels home to be with her mother every weekend while in college…a round trip of several hours. What touched my heart was the daughter’s concern for her widowed mother. The young woman, now in her early twenties, appears wise beyond her years. Mother and daughter hold each other as they watch a video of the man they both loved…a man who died a hero.
A caring couple who lost a son on 9/11 created a camp for children who lost a loved one during this tragedy. One teenage boy, who had a very difficult time talking to anyone about his deceased father, described how this was the only place that he felt completely at home. The young man shares how he wants to part of this program even when he is too old to be a camper.
The thousands of children who lost a parent in 9/11 suffered immeasurable pain and heartache.
They lost a Mommy or Daddy who meant the world to them and just as tragic… the sweet innocence of their childhood.
Ten Years after September 11th 2001, “Children of 9/11” Gives a Voice, for the First Time, to Young People Directly Affected by that Fateful Day.
“Children of 9/11” is produced by Janice Sutherland at Darlow Smithson Productions.
