A Patriotic Thank You

Tomorrow is Patriot's Day and of course the eleventh anniversary of the tragic events of September 11th.  I find it appropriate every year on this day to share with my students the sacrifice and perseverance that our nation and its people endured on that memorable day, and continue to feel over a decade later.  As my teaching career lengthens, the age that my students were on that beautiful fall day lessens.  This year will be the first time that I have students that were not even alive on that Tuesday.  It's hard to believe.  Most of us have vivid memories of that morning.  We will always be able to recall where we were and how we felt.  I was on my second day of work two blocks from the White House and had only lived in Washington for about 72 hours at the time.  The day profoundly shaped me as it did all of us.

The beauty of Patriot's Day is that September 11th can continue to mold us into the Americans that we strive to be.  United, loyal, and grateful.  Whether you have toddlers or young adults at home, take a moment to share with them what it means to be a patriot.  This could include a discussion about the first patriots that framed our nation and fought for our independence, it might be reading a great book like A is for America, or simply writing down a few words of thanks.

Have your little patriots write or draw how grateful they are to the firemen and women in your community.  Our class has written thank you notes to military personnel, firemen, and police officers for years on Patriot's Day and I can't tell you how meaningful it is to those who give and those who receive the thanks.  Gather these precious notes and drop them by your local fire station.  You will see that a simple thank you can change many people's lives!