As I thought about September 11, 2001, I had many impressions running through my mind. This piece named Opal was the result of some of them. Our country was shocked by a devastating terrorist attack. As I thought about our country and the entire world community, I realized how fortunate I am to live in this country ... terrorist attack and all. I realized being born in the United States of America is like winning the lottery of life. Each of us who lives here is that lucky. Very few countries in the world enjoy the blessings we have. Abundance is everywhere here in The United States of America.

As I pondered how fortunate I am, I thought about how many of us have taken our blessings for granted. I thought about how apathy has crept into our thinking as a nation. 9-11 woke many of us up. We started thinking as a nation rather than as splinter groups. We stood surrounded by stuff ... an abundance of everything ... but all of a sudden what was really important became very clear. Our families, our friends, our faith, and our Nation seemed so much more important than all our things.

Being blessed with so much also means that we have a responsibility to share our abundance with those who are less fortunate. Everyone else seemed to feel that way too after 9-11 ... there was giving of every kind all around me. Everywhere I looked, selfless acts, large and small, were being given.

Though our hearts were sad, it seemed like "Christmas." A spirit of true concern and caring flooded our nation and the entire world. A horrible act of terror had taught us a great lesson. Living in a country with an abundance of material goods and opportunities is wonderful, but it also can blur our focus. We get so involved with work and play that we seem to be taking less time for simple, small pleasures.

Many of us refocused our lives after 9-11. Basic faith based, family values are more important now to many of us. Our nation will be stronger because of that. Our children will be happier and safer because of that. Hopefully, our nation's leaders will evaluate many of our political policies, and prayerfully deviate from the course we were on as a nation before 9-11.

In many ways, our nation has been cleansed by the innocent shedding of blood of so many in Washington, DC, New York City, and in Pennsylvania. Hopefully, we will not forget and we will not take our blessings for granted.