Celebrating Positive Milestones on September 11th

[Cinnamon Girl]

Let me start by saying that I'm not trying to detract from the rememberance threads or in any way negate the horrific events of 9/11/01.

That being said, for a lot of people, the date 9/11 also signifies something positive - birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, etc.

Myself, September 11th is my wedding anniversary - tomorrow will be our 5th year of marriage. Who knew back in 1999 that the date we picked to be joined together as partners in life would be forever marred by the events of that fateful day.

I know there must be other people who have things to celebrate on this day. Do you also feel the internal struggle to feel like celebrating while at the same time having the rememberance of the attacks all around you, not to mention within you?

I honestly wish I could just change the date of my anniversary (and have thought about changing the day we recognize it), just so I could celebrate it with a clean conscience and not have it tainted by violence and death.

Does anyone else feel this way?

[Athena-Nadine]

It's my grandmother's and cousin's birthdays. There is that to celebrate, and the fact that I lived. :)

[Cinnamon Girl]

:hugz: I'm glad you lived, too.

But do you find it hard to celebrate birthdays while at the same time mourning the 9/11 tragedy?

Or is it just me?

[Athena-Nadine]

:hugz: I'm glad you lived, too.

But do you find it hard to celebrate birthdays while at the same time mourning the 9/11 tragedy?

Or is it just me?I did at first, until I realized that birth, in its many forms, is just the other side of death, and vice versa. There will always be things to mourn in life. But mourning doesn't mean that we can't acknowledge our happiness for other things at the same time. I've heard stories of people deliberately getting married on September 11th after 2001, so they would have something to celebrate on that day.

I think the change in perspective happened when my father died this past Mothers' Day. I realized that I wanted to celebrate his life, not mourn his death. :) My parents' wedding anniversary is also my mother's birthday. It also, as it turned out, will be the day after my fiance and I get married. It will be my mother's first wedding anniversary since my father's death. We will focus on her birthday, but we will also remember my father's passing.

[Aine of the Fae]

It's my birthday. But my birthday is evil in more ways than just the big one...

[djc114]

It's my parent's anniversary too.

Yeah it sucks that all that stuff happened on the same date as your wedding, but you had your wedding first and you should celebrate it. Don't feel guilty. Celebrate your anniversary and the start of your LIFE together! If we get anything out of 9/11 it shoudl be to celebrate and cherish life.