May all be blessed: how one mom fights back

May all be blessed: etched metal art charm, lampwork bead, & recycled sari silk pendant by C. Hansen

Twice a day, I was reminded.

Every time I looked at the clock and it read 9:11, I remembered the horror of that day, the fear, the anger, the desperation, the unthinkable loss and devastation…and how the whole world changed, for all of us, forever.

At first, every time I saw that time appear on the clock, it made me ill, not only for me, but for everyone else too, knowing that they were experiencing the same negative feelings I was.

I quickly realized that this wasn’t how I wanted to live the rest of my life, in dread of seeing the time on the clock.

I decided to fight back, in my own way.

I decided to take that time back and turn it around, and turn it into something positive instead.

I decided to say a little prayer for everyone on the planet, figuring if each person is touched by grace, then just maybe, healing can begin.

The prayer had to be really short and easy to remember.

The prayer also had to bless everyone and everything, with no exceptions.

And the prayer had to be a prayer that anyone could use, because I wanted everyone on the planet to join me in saying it.

Now, twice a day, I am reminded to say, “May all be blessed.”

I invite you to join me in fighting back, by taking back these moments each day, either with “may all be blessed,” or with a prayer of your own.

Perhaps if each of us is blessed, even in some small way, we can make the world a better place.