Three Pictures were worth more than 1000 words.

It was an odd weekend.  We had a great time at Penn State with my family and going to the game, but knowing that it was 9/11 made it seem different than other football weekends spent there.

JMumbo drew three pictures when we first arrived and I think they set the tone for me regarding what happened ten years ago.  You have to remember, JMumbo was 1 1/2 months old on September 11, 2001.  I was home with the kids on maternity leave and had the tv on, but muted, and turned it off because I thought the news report was a trailer for a new movie coming out.  I had things to do and a doctor’s appointment later in the day.  I was oblivious.  When I arrived at the doctor’s office the radio was on and everything was closing.  The receptionist must have thought I was nuts because I asked her what was going on.  Yes, I lived in a bubble.  I had a 3 year old and a baby, I didn’t watch the news, I watched the Wiggles.

How did my baby know what to draw?  The computer teacher at school showed them a remembrance video that Friday and they talked about it in class.   JMumbo loves history and he soaked it all in.  Then he drew the pictures.

This is Shanksville, PA

It says, “Because of passengers and crew members.”

This is the Pentagon

These are the World Trade Centers.

“Twin Towers, 911, both fell”

What do you say to pictures like this?  Good job?  Nice artwork?  I told him he did a nice job, but what I really wanted to say was that I hoped he never had to live through days like the ones following 9/11 again.  That I wish he didn’t have to know that bad things could happen in the world, they only happened in pretend places like movies.  I wanted to tell him how incredibly moving it was to see a boy who was barely alive the day the US fell apart, draw such beautifully tragic pictures.

At the football game they paid tribute with a fly over, one of the more awe inspiring things I have ever experienced, and the Blue Band played “Amazing Grace” while forming the letters NYC, a pentagon, and a keystone (the symbol for PA).  It took all I had not to cry because in my head were three pictures drawn by a ten year old boy about a tragedy we will never forget.