The 11:11 Anniversary

Numerologists and Spiritual Leaders speak of the significance of numbers and number sequences.  One of the most discussed sequences is 11:11. There are many interpretations of its meaning. Many people say that 11:11 speaks of awareness, life balance or global consciousness.  Others say that 11:11 is the doorway between two worlds. There are those who believe that when you encounter this number sequence your guardian angel or spirit guide is trying to connect with you.  Any of these interpretations standing on their own is special, but a combination of them is nothing short of amazing!

This sequence can present itself in an array of ways.  It may appear as the change you receive at a store, your car odometer may display these numbers and it catches your eye, you may notice it on a license plate or it may even show up as part of a telephone number. Today 11:11 appears in a less obvious form. Today’s tie to the 11:11 sequence is unique but also very significant. Eleven years ago on the eleventh day of September the world that we were living in was forever changed.

On this day, the significance of 11:11 is not lost.  It is the eleventh anniversary of September 11^th.  The feelings and emotions experienced years ago are once again unpacked from our memory banks and relived.  The horror and heartache resurface.  For me there is still rawness tied to this day. I live fifty five miles north of Manhattan.  My town and many of the surrounding towns experienced some sort of loss.  Whether it was a neighbor, friend or family member we were all touched. Eleven years ago two of my sisters worked within a few blocks of the World Trade Center.  I was on the telephone checking in with my youngest sister when the second Tower collapsed.  Horror was within an earshot and death and danger was closer.

  I have many vivid memories of that day.  One very significant memory of mine occurred before the first plane hit. As I drove to work that morning I was mesmerized by the deeply blue morning sky.  There was not a single cloud to be seen. It was crystal clear and I was in awe of the intense richness above me.  Blue is a color that is often associated with clarity.    But clarity seems to be an odd word to use in relation to September 11^th. That day was one of chaos and confusion.  Maybe the sky that morning was foreshadowing the clarity that we were to achieve when we finally digested all that had transpired.  

 

 On September 11, 2001 and those days that followed thereafter, our focus was on the grief, the pain, the anger and the loss.  As communities we rallied and supported those who suffered and sacrificed the most. Candlelight vigils were held, donations collected and solace sought within our places of worship.  In those moments following the attacks the shift in our collective consciousness had begun.

   Before that day our priorities were out of line. We were consumed with accumulating things, large things.  Along with our meals our houses were oversized. The bigger the better, the term Mc Mansion was in born. Lots and lots of space left little room for human interaction.  We needed the latest and greatest electronic devices, and if we had one for each room in the house, so much the better.  Cars were expensive, vacations exotic and social status was important. We idolized entertainers and athletes.  They were placed upon a pedestal and revered no matter how badly they may have behaved. Time and connections were not important, wealth and power was paramount.

 And then the first plane hit a New York skyscraper when people were arriving for work. In a single instant our reality was realigned. We no longer needed big homes with lots of space, we sought comfort and closeness.    Financial wealth was no longer equated with happiness. The sense of community that had existed in the 1940’s, and 1950’s had returned. We needed and relied upon one another.  We craved community. The shift had begun.  We realized that people and relationships are paramount, not possessions. 

 The athletes that we idolized understood the meaning of hero.  The true heroes were the ones running into the buildings while others were running out. They were focused on service not self. To pay homage to the real heroes baseball players who had been idolized by the masses ditched their team logo caps and donned those of the New York City Fire Department and the New York City Police Department. This was an amazing display of perspective. What achievement defines a hero? A person who can strike out three batters in a row, or hit a ball over a distant fence, or is it a person who puts their life on the line to save another human being? No contest.  Those caps were proudly worn by the NY Yankees and NY Mets. The real heroes were honored for all that they did and all that they do each day.

  In the days and months following the attacks we buried our neighbors and comforted their survivors.   We organized community fundraising events to fund scholarships in their memory. A sense of community had re-emerged. Memorial parks were designed, planned and constructed. Bricks were engraved and laid in their honor.  We would not forget September 11^th and all of the innocent victims or the selfless people who tried to save them, not on our soil, not on our watch.

  Through the years the intensity of the emotions felt on that day may have waned but their undercurrent remains.  As I walked through my neighborhood yesterday I could not help from noticing the display of American flags.  The red, white and blue were proudly attached to fences and mailboxes. They flew mightily upon flag poles.  Yes, on that day a shift had occurred. Compassion replaced competiveness. Eleven years later we are aware that each and every day is a gift.  It is understood that it is essential to balance the must do’s with the want to do’s. Time carries more value than money.  And if 9/11 taught us anything it is that we are all connected somehow, someway.

  More importantly on this 11:11 anniversary, we garner comfort in knowing that no matter where we are or what we are doing there are angels watching over us. Eleven years later the message that was delivered at that moment when the first airplane hit World Trade Center is still strong. It remains crystal clear. We are all in this together. We are never alone.  Someone always has our back and is guiding us from above……angels, 11:11.

Balloon Messages

Yesterday I made my weekly pilgrimage to Wal-Mart.  Grocery shopping was the task at hand.  As I was traveling along North Main Street I caught a glimpse of Monroe’s annual Cheese Festival.  The event is more of a street fair, but it is intended to honor Monroe’s place in history.  Velveeta cheese was invented by one of our residents, Emil Frey in early 1900’s.

 Party tents, carnival rides and people dotted the horizon. This scene reminded me of a family day a dozen or so years ago.  My daughter was nine and my son was four. It was a wonderful day of discovery, exploration and yes, some cheese.  The kids enjoyed themselves in the bouncy house, had their faces painted and they decorated ceramics pieces.  We purchased pretzels and dunked them in cheese, melted Velveeta of course and walked away in laughter and secured wonderful memories. 

  As I was sitting at the traffic light waiting for it to change I was absorbed in my thoughts of that day many years ago. At that moment my heart ached.  I realized that those simple family outings and the holding of tiny hands and hearts had exited my life several years ago. Today I missed it.

  On the corner was a man with his two children.  They were waiting to cross the road and make their way to their car.    He was holding the hands of each of his two children.  His daughter may have been ten or so years old, his son about six.

  As they stood there I silently laughed to myself as the little boy with wispy brown hair and a huge smile toyed with a purple helium balloon tied to a white ribbon.  The balloon bobbed up and down with each pull on the ribbon, and the boy giggled.  He was happy, and secure within that moment.  And then it all changed. 

  The little brown haired boy lost his grip on the string that was attached to his purple balloon. The ribbon slipped through his fingers and his treasure traveled upward.  His Dad made a valiant attempt to grasp the rapidly passing string, but to no avail.  The balloon was on a path of its own. As it traveled upward it grazed the top of a nearby building, soared above the stately oak tree and bounced about in the blue sky. I realized that as parents this is what we do with our children.  When they are young we tightly hold them within our grip.  We nurture, teach and protect.  Then there comes the time that we must loosen our hold, release and allow them to soar on their own.

   When I was young I always believed that adults knew everything.  I thought, when you are an adult things are clear, things are easy.  You are in total control of your life. You can do what you want, when you want.   Boy was I wrong; this couldn’t have been further from the truth!  Adulthood is when we face the most challenges. 

 No longer secure within the cocoon of our parent’s protection and guidance we must discover where we belong, where we fit in and who we really are.  Our time is not our own.   Responsibilities and obligations mount.  Soon we have our own children to hold onto and protect.  Raising a family is both a warmly rewarding and an equally overwhelming task. It leaves little or no time for our individual interest and pursuits.

Before you know it the time arrives to release our grip on the balloon strings. Yes, it is difficult but also necessary.  The fallacy is that when you are an adult you are all grown up.  This may be true physically, but emotionally and spiritually this is the time when we begin to question and challenge ourselves.  No longer concerned about what others may think we start to become truly comfortable in our own skin.  Ironically the point of release is when real growth and discover occurs. Phrases like “I can’t do that” are replaced with “Why not, I’ll give it a try.”    It is now our time to reclaim ourselves.

 These past few years I have given many things a try. Some have stuck other have not. A few have been major leaps.  Skydiving surely does fit that description!   Each step is part of my personal evolution.  Lessons are presented whether I choose to acknowledge them or not. The process of clearing and making space for new thoughts and experiences is a must. And, for me, living from the heart is essential.

  I finished my weekly Wal-Mart shopping and was patiently waiting my turn to check out and pay for my purchases.  As I was standing on the checkout line I looked up and there in the ceiling rafters was another balloon, and another message.

  Wedged against the roof top was a balloon that had floated away.  CLEARANCE was the word written on it. Yes we all love a bargin, items are put on “clearance”; the original price is reduced significantly to move the item quickly.  The purpose, the store needs to make room for new merchandise.   

  In our lives we too go through this clearance process. It can be hobbies, friends, jobs, and relationships that need clearing.  It can be our habits and thought patterns, or it can simply be space that needs clearing.  When the clearing occurs we make room for the new thoughts, careers, friends, experiences and beginnings.

 Each of the balloons I encountered yesterday contained lessons. There is a time that we must let go and release in doing so we can reach new heights.  Each of us has clearance to evolve, move, grow and change. Yes, there may be obstacles along the way that impede this. Some are real, but many are created in our minds.  We perceive what can or cannot be. The truth is that above us there is an endless sky.  We need to allow ourselves to travel it.  So my friend, where do you see your balloon traveling to, the ceiling, see the sky?