PEA RIDGE — The peace of a predawn morning is punctuated by occasional hoots from a nearby owl and the chirping of cicadas and katydids. The calendar reminds me that today (Tuesday) is the 11th anniversary of the horrendous attacks on our nation.
That day, 11 years ago, I was expecting my youngest son who was born the following December. The morning was peaceful and quiet and began much like any other morning for our family of eight children ranging in age from 3 to 17. We were sitting at the dining room table working on school lessons when we received a call to turn on the television because New York City had been attacked.
And then, we saw the second plane hit the tower.
It was surreal.
I’ve learned that the first reaction to tragedy is often doubt, questioning the reality of the tragedy, and then the shock and pain hits. We watched dumbfounded,wondering how this could happen and what would be the ramifications of the attack. And, as the story unfolded, we learned there was more.
I took a small television to my husband’s office, just about 200 yards away. We were situated just above the dam at Clearwater Lake in southeast Missouri. It is a very rural area and it was a very peaceful morning. The skies were crisp blue with a few powder puff-like clouds above.
I remember thinking how incredibly peaceful and quiet it was and praying for those in the midst of the attacks.
Odd, but life is like that.
Each person’s pain is isolated for him or her while others throughout the town, the state, the nation, go blithely about their business unaware of the pain of their neighbor unless it is pointed out to them.
We pass people on the street, in the store, in church and ask: “How are you?” but seldom stop to hear their answer. In fact, most people simply answer “fine” because they realize the questioner doesn’t really have time to hear the real answer.
We must relate to one another to encourage and comfort one another. We must stop long enough to hear one another.
It is said that only two things are eternal - people and the Word of God. That is where we should place our energies. Everything else is passing away.
As I listen to the stories of people now in their 80s and 90s, I realize they were once 20 or 30 working feverishly on building their families, their careers. And now, the reap the fruit of their labor - sometimes good fellowship with their family members, sometimes neglect and isolation.
“No matter what you’ve done for yourself or for humanity, if you can’t look back on having given love and attention to your own family, what have you really accomplished?” said Lee Iacocca, one of America’s most known and admired businessmen.
And, “The only rock I know that stays steady, the only institution I know that works, is the family.”◊◊◊
Editor’s note: Annette Beard is the managing editor of The Times of Northeast Benton County, chosen the best small weekly newspaper in Arkansas three years in a row. A native of Louisiana, she moved to northwest Arkansas in 1980 to work for the Benton County Daily Record.
She has nine children, four sons-in-law, four grandsons and a granddaughter.
She can be reached at [email protected].
The opinions of the writer are her own, and are not necessarily those of The Times.
Opinion, Pages 4 on 09/12/2012