RobertXGillis

RobertXGillis

25+ years of published Op/Ed columns, professional photography, my first book and more from the 28 known galaxies!

RobertXGillis
  • About Me
  • My professional photography
  • Nana – my first published book
  • Gillis Photo and Nana Videos
  • Site Map
  • Nativity

Reflections on Christmas 2001, three months after the attacks

  • Christmas
  • September 11, 2001

12 America - US Flag flying at Hull Yacht Clubby Robert Gillis
Published in The Foxboro Reporter

It’s Christmas 2001. Hard to believe, isn’t it?

It’s only been three months since September 11. With all that’s happened, many us are thinking, how could we enjoy Christmas this year? Should we even try?

After all, while we decorate trees and make cookies, our soldiers are in Afghanistan, facing death every day as they fight for our freedom and way of life.

While we send Christmas cards, others are searching for who is putting anthrax in the US Mail.

While we shop for presents, crews still work round the clock recovering bodies in the wreckage that was once the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

While we shop for the holiday meal, others mourn the special person who won’t be at the table.
We feel guilty enjoying the season when we remember 6000 dead and the 10,000 children orphaned that day.

This has been a very difficult year. So many people are grieving. This country is in so much pain right now.

On a large scale and small, life here has changed. But I think it’s important that we shouldn’t sacrifice or ignore Christmas out of guilt or sadness. We need Christmas this year – more than ever.

Christmas 2001 is about more than the glitter, shopping, tinsel and plastic – you can see it everywhere. From the red white and blue Christmas decorations, to the decrease in holiday buying frenzy, to the increase in church attendance and people who say they want a more spiritual or family holiday – things have changed. These last 90 days, we are remembering the ones who are gone, and treasuring the ones still with us.

We’re taking time to reflect and being grateful for all the blessings we do have, such as family, friends, health and life. We’re doing something extra this season, maybe helping others in need, donating blood, money or food, or volunteering our time in some way. We’re attending church services. We’re keeping our soldiers in our thoughts and prayers.

This Christmas, if you can, keep your traditions. Decorate the tree, bake the cookies, and above all be there for anyone you know who might be grieving. Call them, write letters, be their friend.
They need you.

Whether or not you’re lighting up the outside of your house, consider putting a candle on your front doorstep again, like we did for two weeks in September, in memory of all those who died this year.

Light it for them, and their families, and for our soldiers, and for yourself.

Christmas is about a miracle. And while “Peace, good will toward men” isn’t very obvious at the moment, I believe it can also mean that Christmas can bring “Peace in our hearts.”

At this holiest time of the year, we pray that that the true spirit of this season will help us persevere, and help us heal.

God bless you all.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Related Posts via Categories

  • Welcoming Ghosts of Christmas at the North Shore Music Theater with David Coffee
  • Dinner with Mom brings back Memories of Christmas Past
  • 2016: Embracing the spirit of Christmas Past, Present and Future, and finding the key to the childhood joy
  • Where Are You Christmas? The Christmas Season Doesn’t Start in September
  • Fun with Facebook: Christmas 2015 edition!
  • Be part of the LIGHT this holiday season in Foxboro
  • A little Christmas miracle as the Foxboro Jaycees decorate Foxboro Common
  • September 11, 2014: Happy Birthday to the Gifts of Hope Born 9-11-2001
  • Christmas 2013 at Mom’s house
  • A Christmas prayer for the victims of Sandy Hook
Spread the love
December 11, 2001 Robert Gillis 0

Post navigation

Star Trek: War Hammer → ← A final toast to Foxboro’s grand dame Betty Friedman

My Professional Photography

Buy My Book!

Go to Nana Book website

Follow Me!

  • Facebook

RobertXGillis.com Categories (Drop Down Menu)!

Category Cloudy Thingy!

A must read Avoiding Fraud Backstreets Boston Bruce Springsteen Catholic / Church Christmas CNN image Computers / Tech Current Events / News Commentary Current News Story Parody and Humor Dorchester Foxboro Foxboro Founders Day Foxboro Jaycees Foxboro Jaycees Haunted House Foxboro Reporter Image Halloween Holidays - Other Humor Life events, Gratitude and Giving and Little Miracles Mass Shootings Memorials Movies Music My fiction (80s/90s) Nana Book NASA Image New Hampshire News image from Web New Year Not The Best Pets Politics Scanned From Newspaper Microfilm Seniors September 11, 2001 Slow News Day Humor Sports Star Trek Superman Superman and Friends - Comic Book Humor and Parody Television Uncategorized Web / Email / Internet / Social Media

Robert Gillis Site Archives From the 28 Known Galaxies

Weekly Popular!

  • A dream come true, meeting Joanna Cameron, star of… (39)
  • Memories of an Intensive Care Nursery at Saint… (18)
  • Silver Age Comics: Spanking your super kids, a great… (11)
  • An historical quest fulfilled: Finding the Willey… (8)
  • Grieving the Saint Kevin’s Property (7)
  • An interview with Joanna Levesque, aka “JoJo” (7)
  • More Silver-Age Lois Lane comic book madness! (7)
  • The Weakest Link (7)
  • Silver-Age Superboy comic book (in)justice! (7)
  • Katy Perry’s “Firework:” A message every teen needs to hear (6)
  • Memo: Cost-cutting measures during these tough… (6)
  • Win or lose, THANK YOU New England Patriots! (5)
  • Silver Age Superboy and Lois Lane presents: Comets… (5)
  • Retro-Review: A Christmas Carol (1999) starring… (5)
  • You can go home again; my visit to Dorchester and… (5)
  • Thoughts on the J.J. Abrams Star Trek movie teaser… (5)
  • Silver Age Comic Books: Superman stops the… (5)
  • Foxboro Jaycees Easter Egg Hunt (5)
  • What was the Silver Age of comic books? Superman,… (5)
  • More Silver Age Comics fun with Lois Lane! (4)
  • A letter to Mom on Christmas Day (4)
  • More fun with Superman and Wonder Woman comics:… (4)
  • Bruce Springsteen at Fenway Park September 6 and 7, 2003 (4)
  • Letter I wrote to DC Comics when Superman died (4)
  • More Lucy Lane and Lois Lane Silver-Age Comics Sillyness! (4)
  • Popular posts by Top 10 plugin

Most Popular On This Site!

  • A dream come true, meeting Joanna Cameron, star of… (16,699)
  • An interview with Joanna Levesque, aka “JoJo” (6,149)
  • A letter to Mom on Christmas Day (3,654)
  • Memo: Cost-cutting measures during these tough… (3,296)
  • Silver Age Comics: Spanking your super kids, a great… (2,722)
  • Memories of an Intensive Care Nursery at Saint… (2,324)
  • Thoughts on visiting seven churches on Holy Thursday (1,716)
  • Father Steve Madden leaving Saint Mary’s… (1,623)
  • Grieving the Saint Kevin’s Property (1,528)
  • The National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in… (1,512)
  • The customer, most assuredly, is NOT always right: A… (1,396)
  • More Lucy Lane and Lois Lane Silver-Age Comics Sillyness! (1,212)
  • Silver-Age Comics fun: Going to the chapel, and… (1,042)
  • Katy Perry’s “Firework:” A message every teen needs to hear (1,038)
  • What was the Silver Age of comic books? Superman,… (1,035)
  • Popular posts by Top 10 plugin

Copyright and Legal

All site content copyright © 2020 by Robert Gillis except where specifically noted. All rights reserved. THIS IS A PERSONAL WEBLOG (“BLOG”). THE OPINIONS AND COMMENTARY EXPRESSED HERE REPRESENT MY OWN AND ARE NOT THOSE OF MY EMPLOYERS (PAST, PRESENT NOR FUTURE).

About images:

I do my best to use my own photos to illustrate a post (and copyright to all my images remains with me), but sometimes I need to use an image from, say, a sports logo, a TV show or movie, or something I could not possibly get on my own, for example, an image of the international space station. I always credit the original owner (if they can be determined) but in ALL cases, whether credited or not, any images I didn’t photograph myself remain the property of the original copyright holders. This site does not imply any ownership of such images or materials, and such images are used here for commentary / illustrative / entertainment purposes only, under what is believed to be fair use guidelines, and absolutely no copyright infringement is intended.

Powered by WordPress | theme SG Double