September 11: Finding the Good in the Evil

wpid-2012-07-04-10.19.47.jpgAs I sit here remembering where I was on September 11, 2001, it is hard to even fathom how something so horrific happened in our nation. Like so many others, I replay the awful, tragic events of the day.

I remember sitting outside on our porch the evening of the attacks, trying to wrap my brain around what I saw that morning. Our children were close by – we weren’t letting them out of our sight. The sky was calm and blue, and pastel hues began to emerge as the sun was setting. It was eerily quiet with no aircraft flying overhead. Neighbors were coming over, and a large gathering of stunned and somber people filled our yard. Folks that would normally just nod hello actually stopped to chat longer, as everyone needed to be surrounded by someone.

The next morning, people were lined up outside a flag store in our town, and by mid-day, America flags were swaying gently in the breeze on almost every house. News stories talked about long lines for giving blood donations; doctors and others were jumping in their cars and heading to New York to lend assistance; bottled water, clothing and non-perishables were collected. Churches opened their doors for prayer. People were kinder to each other and helping each other – looking out for their neighbors. September 12 brought about a change of heart and spirit. Police, firefighters and military members were thanked and honored. Somehow, as awful as September 11 was, September 12 began anew. Patriotism was sincere. People were changed.

So now, 14 years later, I have to ask, what the heck happened? How on earth did we forget what it was like to be bonded together and act civil towards one another?

Just this past week, a firefighter lost his life to an angry hit-and-run driver. Police officers are under attack, and I stopped counting how many we lost last week. Military members and their families are threatened. There have been instances where first responders have been refused service just because they are police officers or service members.

I’m not delusional – I know that there are a few rogue cops and soldiers amongst the ranks. But the majority of our first responders are honorable people. These are the folks that not only protect us, they serve us. They go into burning buildings; they perform first aid and CPR; they extract people from twisted wreckage; they deliver babies who are born en route to the hospital; they put a uniform on every day, and every day wonder if they will come home to their families.

And the discord doesn’t stop there. It runs so deep that it is oozing all over social media. If you have an opinion that is different from someone else’s, you are chastised and humiliated for speaking your mind. Bad manners and rudeness runs rampant.

Why don’t we care about each other anymore? Everything is a shouting match, a protest, or angry sparring online. There is little civility, and there is little to no respect for authority or anyone else. Sanctity of life seems to be out the window. People have died due to beatings at sports events. Spirits get crushed by betrayals made public.

“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten we belong to each other.” Mother Teresa

We are divided and fragmented, hateful and opinionated instead of being united as one, like we were on September 12, 2001.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t like who we have become. Reading or watching the news is difficult. Just when you think you’ve heard it all, another sick and demented story airs on the crimes committed against other human beings.

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” Mother Teresa

It’s true. I can’t change the world, but I can change for the people in my world, starting with:

  • Thanking our family, friends, neighbors and all others who are police officers, firefighters and military members. I don’t think any of these folks know how much they are loved and appreciated for what they do, every single day. And a huge shout-out to the first-responder families for their support.
  • Acknowledging people with a greeting, a nod or a smile.
  • Appreciating all forms of labor and the workers that make my life easier.
  • Trying harder to be patient with people in general, acknowledging that they may be having the worst day of their life.
  • Being kinder to others, especially when I am having a rough day.
  • Treating others as I want to be treated.
  • Being grateful for what I have.
  • Smiling more; frowning less.
  • Praying more; complaining less.

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

My faith leads me to know that out of evil, God brings good. The good that came from the evil of September 11 were the positive changes we made on September 12. I pray that we won’t wait for another horrible act to bring us together. We can bring good from evil again.

© Lynne Cobb – 2015

Did you notice a change of heart in people after the terror attacks? Let me know in the comments below.

Props for Menopause

Props for Menopause
Props for Menopause

“I love to come in and play with a wig or glasses or clothes. I love using props. I’m from the Peter Sellers school of trying to prepare for the character.” – Dan Aykroyd

Ha – you’re probably thinking “Props for Menopause” means this essay is all about a big thumbs-up for this crazy change in women. Ummm – no. Far from it. It’s about props that one needs to survive this change of life.

Continue reading “Props for Menopause”

Ditching the Dye

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“I do wonder why people hate their grey hair so much! I think grey hair is a gift from the moon! When the moon laughs, her eyes produce tears of joy that fall to the earth and onto the tops of people’s heads!” C. JoyBell C.

Around the time my father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, I started to make a more conscious effort to reduce the number of chemicals used in our home, from processed foods to cleaning products to toiletries. In fact, I started making my own deodorant, toothpaste and many cleaning supplies, and began learning about the connections of foods, herbs and essential oils.

One thing I hadn’t done at that point was to give up my hair color! The gray was really coming in, and I found myself coloring more frequently. I remember that the last few times I colored my hair, I began to itch along the base of my neck. At that point, I decided it was time to stop coloring. To aid in the transition, I had highlights and low lights added, which helped eliminate the “line of demarcation,” something that many people, especially women, fear when they stop coloring their hair.

It was around that time I noticed that others were doing the same – ditching the dye. I approached the editor of Michigan Prime Magazine, and she agreed to let me write an article highlighting (pun intended!) metro Detroiters who were letting their hair go au naturel. The response I received from people willing to share their story was overwhelming. I couldn’t even interview all of them! Men and women, celebrities and regular folk are currently embracing this trend, and I don’t think it is going to end any time soon.

Here is a link to the article, “Ditching the Dye.” It is my hope that if you are considering going gray, the interview subjects and stylists I spoke with will be of encouragement to you.

© Lynne Cobb – 2015

Have you ditched the dye? Are you considering doing so? Please let me know in the comments below!

Have a Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Fourth of July!

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It’s the Fourth of July already? Oh my, that means summer is in full swing, and that we are half-way through the year! Yikes!

Continue reading “Have a Happy Fourth of July!”

Great father and great memories

fathers day card

“This is the price you pay for having a great father. You get the wonder, the joy, the tender moments – and you get the tears at the end, too.” – Harlan Coben

I’ve come to the realization that Father’s Day will always be bittersweet. The first few years after my dad’s death were really difficult, and you can tell by the type of posts I wrote that I was really grieving.

Not to say that I am not still grieving – I think that will last forever. But the pain isn’t the “punch in the gut” grief like it used to be. Continue reading “Great father and great memories”

Top Ten Reasons to Attend Writing Conferences

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“The answer to all writing, to any career for that matter, is love.”
—Ray Bradbury

Though I have been in the writing field for about two decades, it was just this past year I started to attend writing conferences. I have attended workshops, but never day-long conferences. Trust me when I say I am kicking myself for not attending these events sooner.

Continue reading “Top Ten Reasons to Attend Writing Conferences”

Thoughts on Memorial Day

wpid-2012-07-04-10.19.47.jpg“All gave some; some gave all.”

It is Memorial Day weekend, a chance to have a reprieve from work, spend time with family, and, hopefully, enjoy some decent weather.

But, Memorial Day means so much more. It is the day set aside to honor our military’s fallen heroes.

As a military family, we are truly humbled by this holiday. We know the sacrifices made in order to serve. And we are in mourning with the families whose service members made the ultimate sacrifice.

Over the past few years, I have written about service and sacrifice, and compiled a few of my “reader favorites” here, complete with links. Some of these essays have been picked up by other sites, which was a real honor for me.

Please take a moment to remember our fallen heroes and their families this Memorial Day weekend. Whether you attend a parade, a service at a cemetery, or just pause for quiet reflection, know that freedom isn’t free, and we are immensely blessed by those who do serve.

Hear are some of my reader favorites:

How my husband and I spent Memorial Day with heroes.

What is it like to be a military wife?

What is the ultimate sacrifice?

On being a proud military mom.

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  John 15:13 NIV

Thank you for reading this Memorial Day special edition of my blog. If you feel moved to do so, feel free to share with others. 

Do you have any special Memorial Day traditions? If so, please share in the comment section.

© Lynne Cobb – 2015

The Next Chapter

wpid-20150519_164254.jpg“Every story has an end, but in life every end is a new beginning.” Dakota Fanning

“I don’t think I am handling this very well,” I admitted to my husband.

It all started last week. I went to the high school to pick our daughter up from an event. Since she and her friends began driving, I haven’t had to retrieve her from school very often. As I turned into the parking lot, tears welled up in my eyes.

This was one of the last times I would be at this school. With the exception of one more concert, that is it. She is our last to graduate. Twenty-five years of children in school and it is over.

Continue reading “The Next Chapter”

Life is a full circle

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Life is a circle

“There are patterns which emerge in one’s life, circling and returning anew, an endless variation of a theme.” – Jacqueline Carey

Isn’t it funny how life is a full circle?

I remember it so clearly, though it was almost 32 years ago. We had just gotten married, and my husband and I loaded up my not-so-cool 1980 Mustang (a sorry excuse for a “hot” set of wheels… it was the model year when one could buy a four-cylinder, fuel-efficient, nothing-under-the-hood quasi-sports car).  We were heading from Michigan to Arizona, where we’d spend a few months while my husband was in school. I was pretty excited as we set off on our new adventure. Of course there were no cell phones, GPS or any other technological conveniences that we are accustomed to having when traveling today. We tossed the bags in the trunk, grabbed the maps, said our teary goodbyes and we were on our way.

Continue reading “Life is a full circle”

Embrace the change

wpid-20150501_121105.jpgChildhood is a short season. – Helen Hayes

It is hard to believe that our youngest child graduates from high school this month.

For 25 years, we have ushered children out the door, snapping photos of the first day of school, chaperoning field trips and asking, “do you have homework?” Twenty-five years of concerts, conferences and sporting events. Each fall I would get writer’s cramp from filling out sets of emergency contact cards and writing dates on the calendar. Two and a half decades of sticker shock from back-to-school clothes and supplies.

Continue reading “Embrace the change”

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