Planes crashing into buildings
in images from a disaster film
now on the small screen
filling our homes with a sense of terror. 
Yet images of harsh reality so unreal
now etched into our minds
watching the destruction of our way of life.

Laughter of my young daughter
pulls me from my transfixed state
mesmerized by the barrage of images
with a simple request of "out"...
She brings me away from the horror of the event
and into the reality of the moment.

A nation, a world in tears
united in grief and loss.
A tragedy so large, so unimaginable
the depth of emotions so great
that no words can describe the loss.

Many lost never to be seen again 
yet so many others saved
in thwarted missions ended by courageous citizens.
We, the survivors,
are left with the unanswerable question....
"Why?"

A small hand placed so trustingly in mine
to support her walking.
Back in the moment once again, I am reminded
For her sake and the sake of the new life growing within me
I must continue to believe that life is worth living
and most of all
despite tragedy...
Life goes on.

This event was especially difficult for me since I was in the first trimester of a second pregnancy. A time that should have been a joyous occasion and one of celebration, became one of time of fear and concern for our children.

We experience our own personal crisis this March, nearly losing our second daughter, Kristiina shortly after she was born. Thankfully we got our miracle as she improved and is now a healthy 5 1/2 month old. This crisis has helped us to reassess our priorities, our goals and our dreams.

My angel and my miracle continue to be my reasons to keep going and keep living.