September 11th, 2001is a milestone date for the United States of America.
It marks the point in time that all Americans stopped believing that living in the USA meant we were invincible from enemy attack.
The tragedies that unfolded from the aftermath were heartbreaking.
Fathers, mothers, sons and daughters...many people with full, vibrant, courageous lives died on that day, scarring loved ones left behind for all eternity.
ALL of our hearts were traumatized by this tragic event, and yet, in the aftermath, the outpouring of love and compassion, and incredible patriotism astounded not only us Americans, but those actions reverberated around the world.
We made up our minds during those painful, sorrowful
days nine years ago that hate would not defeat nor define us.
We all remember where we were on that day.
Nine years!
Can you believe it?
That evening also marked another milestone in my life.
Coincidentally, new friendships were born on that day.
Friendships that over these last nine years have had both highs and lows,
love and tragedy,
compassion and companionship.
First..
The Backstory.
The month before, in August of 2001, we had an annual visit from
dear friends who live out of the country.
We pretty much spent most of the visit (as usual)
talking about friends, family, life, and books.
Reading great books (and talking about them) is a passion for our dear friends
(it was then, and still is) and both belonged to long running book clubs.
Now, nine years ago, book clubs were just beginning to be quite popular in the U.S.
After our friends left, I remember desperately wishing that I could be in a book club too.
A week or two later, in the middle of a quasi-sleepless night (still having those), it struck me that one way to be IN a book club was to
START
a book club.
Over the next few days, in between working, parenting, cooking, cleaning and other assorted happenings, I read everything I could find on the subject of:
Starting your own Book Club.
There was a bit of stuff online; it seemed that book clubs were quite popular in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and had been for some time, and these ladies (very few men) had generously shared their collective wisdom with the online world.
I found lots of do's and don'ts for book club organizers...I began to
get a little nervous with this undertaking.
But my biggest fear was really just one:
Would anyone else want to be in a book club besides me?
I tentatively sent out about 20 letters in late August.
(not everyone had email nine years ago :)
inviting a few close friends,
several neighbors, and a few more acquaintances
to a [yet to be named] first meeting for
those interested in joining a book club.
The letter with the invitation contained the usual who, what, where, and when.
Where: my house
When: Tuesday evening, 7pm, September 11th, 2001
As the days events unfolded, I debated about canceling that first meeting, but there was a part of me, and I think most of the rest of us, that needed to be with each other.
We needed to be with other women, other mothers, trying to find answers to our children's questions, and to our own questions.
Finding out that there were only more questions
as the day wore into night,
and tragedy after tragedy was unveiled on that television screen.
18 women showed up on that evening.
Looking for friendship, solace, and support.
And, yes, a shared love of reading, and a strong desire to
{amazingly!} join a book club.
Over these last nine years we have had women come and go, leave and return, but so very many of the original women who came on that fateful night are still gracing me (and the rest of us) with their presence on the second Tuesday of every month.
Tragedy has no bounds, as much too soon, one of our dear friends
has become an angel watching over us.
I love each and every one of these women..they have become not only club members, but friends and soulmates.
Offering compassion, solace and support well beyond that first meeting.
Thank you dear friends, you are indeed novel women.
Let's raise a glass (and a book) to the next nine years.
ALL of our hearts were traumatized by this tragic event, and yet, in the aftermath, the outpouring of love and compassion, and incredible patriotism astounded not only us Americans, but those actions reverberated around the world.
We made up our minds during those painful, sorrowful
days nine years ago that hate would not defeat nor define us.
We all remember where we were on that day.
Nine years!
Can you believe it?
That evening also marked another milestone in my life.
Coincidentally, new friendships were born on that day.
Friendships that over these last nine years have had both highs and lows,
love and tragedy,
compassion and companionship.
First..
The Backstory.
The month before, in August of 2001, we had an annual visit from
dear friends who live out of the country.
We pretty much spent most of the visit (as usual)
talking about friends, family, life, and books.
Reading great books (and talking about them) is a passion for our dear friends
(it was then, and still is) and both belonged to long running book clubs.
Now, nine years ago, book clubs were just beginning to be quite popular in the U.S.
After our friends left, I remember desperately wishing that I could be in a book club too.
A week or two later, in the middle of a quasi-sleepless night (still having those), it struck me that one way to be IN a book club was to
START
a book club.
Over the next few days, in between working, parenting, cooking, cleaning and other assorted happenings, I read everything I could find on the subject of:
Starting your own Book Club.
There was a bit of stuff online; it seemed that book clubs were quite popular in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and had been for some time, and these ladies (very few men) had generously shared their collective wisdom with the online world.
I found lots of do's and don'ts for book club organizers...I began to
get a little nervous with this undertaking.
But my biggest fear was really just one:
Would anyone else want to be in a book club besides me?
I tentatively sent out about 20 letters in late August.
(not everyone had email nine years ago :)
inviting a few close friends,
several neighbors, and a few more acquaintances
to a [yet to be named] first meeting for
those interested in joining a book club.
The letter with the invitation contained the usual who, what, where, and when.
Where: my house
When: Tuesday evening, 7pm, September 11th, 2001
As the days events unfolded, I debated about canceling that first meeting, but there was a part of me, and I think most of the rest of us, that needed to be with each other.
We needed to be with other women, other mothers, trying to find answers to our children's questions, and to our own questions.
Finding out that there were only more questions
as the day wore into night,
and tragedy after tragedy was unveiled on that television screen.
18 women showed up on that evening.
Looking for friendship, solace, and support.
And, yes, a shared love of reading, and a strong desire to
{amazingly!} join a book club.
Over these last nine years we have had women come and go, leave and return, but so very many of the original women who came on that fateful night are still gracing me (and the rest of us) with their presence on the second Tuesday of every month.
Tragedy has no bounds, as much too soon, one of our dear friends
has become an angel watching over us.
I love each and every one of these women..they have become not only club members, but friends and soulmates.
Offering compassion, solace and support well beyond that first meeting.
Thank you dear friends, you are indeed novel women.
Let's raise a glass (and a book) to the next nine years.
1 comment:
What a beautiful post. Annie.
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