It is hard to believe that 7 years have passed since the infamous 9/11 tragedy occurred.  I remember watching the earliest reports on the news, when it seemed to be a single, small plan that had crashed into Tower 1.  As the events quickly unfolded, we learned the horror of what had actually happened.  For those of us that were fairly removed from the incident, I think it seemed unimaginable that such a thing could happen, but it remained somewhat distant and unreal.

Still, even though thousands lost their lives, I think some good came from the tragedy.  I was amazed by stories of heroism.  I think the country came together in ways I had never before seen.  Flags were proudly displayed everywhere.  Prayers were constantly offered for the victims and their families.  There seemed to be great patriotism and unity in the country, and we obviously made many security advancements as a result of these attacks.

I am intrigued by this concept that we often wait for something tragic to bring us to a higher level.  For example, I think it is fairly common for folks to live unhealthy lifestyles of poor diet, inadequate exercise, etc. until serious illness sets in, then we attempt to adjust to a more healthy way of life.  I think this happens too in relationships- we tend to take others for granted until a tragedy strikes, then we become more caring, loving, and interested in improving the relationship (assuming that it isn’t too late).

Why do we do this?  Is it simply complacency?  Why don’t we more often choose to live a healthy lifestyle and cherish our relationships without being compelled to do so by some tragic event?  It is no wonder to me that we are frequently admonished in the scriptures to “remember” when we seem so prone to forget the things that should be most important to us.