Ten years ago our morning started out like any other morning. We were up preparing breakfast for the guests, bumping into each other and grumbling about who was the bigger klutz in the kitchen. A few guests were already eating their fruit course while Dave cooked whatever the entree of the day happened to be. It was a beautiful, upbeat morning in Narragansett.
Until the phone rang.
My neighbor and fellow innkeeper screamed, "Turn on the TV, a plane just hit a building in New York." She knew that Dave, a retired journalist, would want to know. She couldn't know what was to come.
We watched as the second plane struck. Buildings and breakfast burned. We went to tell the guests and to turn on the living room TV. We all stood in a dumbstruck circle watching the horror. No one cared about breakfast anymore.
One guest in particular, Julia Heise, was particularly devastated. She was from Germany and had just been at her company's offices in the North Tower for a few days of meetings before indulging in a visit to New England. I wouldn't normally reveal a guest's name in a blog post but Julia, I think of you every year. And I hope you have healed as well as anyone can who was close to the senseless loss.
So whatever your deity, guiding force, eternal entity, or belief system, think of those unfortunate victims and misguided terrorists. Hold forgiveness in your hearts and your loved ones in your arms and minds.
