I don’t know about anybody else but today I am feeling the spirits of the 2,993 people that died in the September 11 attacks and I feel so unbearably sad.

I was not in New York City on the day of the attack. I was sitting on the couch with my two year old and I was seven months pregnant. Brevitt was asking me about the fire, the planes crashing, the falling bodies. I was too shocked to turn the footage off immediately and I was sobbing. How does one explain hatred and death to a two year old?

Today I stopped in to my children’s Charter school, the Aspen Community School. Every Friday the principal, Jim Gilchrist, holds an All School Meeting with all the students and I was needing to feel connection to humanity so I stayed to observe.

Jim asked the students to reveal ways that one may achieve excellence in life. The children, who are in grades K-8, were happy to participate and were very intelligent in their answers. They knew that if one wants to achieve excellence one needs to work hard for it by practicing every day, listening, being patient, enduring frustration and never losing that devotion to their passion.

At the end of the meeting Jim sat down in front of the older children and spoke to them of the attack. Instead of speaking of violence, hatred and terrorism he focused on the hundreds of firemen and bystanders who rushed in to help save people’s lives. He spoke of helping one another and being there for each other. The children absorbed what he had to say with open minds and hearts.

There are many different people in this world and we all practice different religions, philosophies and ideals as well as politics but it is only a small percentage of people who live their life through hatred, envy and jealousy.

If only all children could be taught to not hate or resent others for being different. I have watched my children be filled with anxiety and fear for things that they do not understand. I encourage them to research the topic and soon they may not feel so threatened by their fear. I try to teach them that hatred brings anxiety, illness and war but love brings peace, tranquility, harmony and friendships.

I myself often get pissed off at humanity and feel like running away from my loved ones. Instead, I take a wickedly deep breath into my lungs and breathe out the worst profanities. I breathe in again and this time I feel calmer and as I breathe out the profanities are not as strong. Sometimes it takes many breaths and often the anger can seep back in but I try not to give the disturbing thoughts air time. I don’t want to be filled with hatred, it will make me ugly and I always want to be beautiful.

If only people would look inwards more and try to analyze the roots of their anger. What if they were born differently and were the people that they felt resentment toward? Would they want others to judge them for their race, creed or color?

Their have been so many musicians that have magnificently captured my sentiments such as Bono in the song “One”, John Lennon in “Give Peace a Chance” and Michael Franti in “I love you” but it is Ben Harper that sings “Better Way” with such passion that every time I hear it I cry because I too believe in a better way and want the world to WAKE THE HELL UP.

What if we could all  laugh more, love more and live more lightly? What if we all realized that listening to opposing views could make us more interesting? I’m thinking that most of my reader’s already live this life but what about the others? How do we convince them that life is about dancing and loving rather than killing and hatred? If we combine our efforts and practice love and an open mind on a daily basis is it possible that we can achieve excellence? Tell me, cuz I really need to know.

BEN HARPER BETTER WAY

One, two, one, two, three

I’m a living sunset
Lightning in my bones
Push me to the edge
But my will is stone

‘Cause I believe in a better way!

Fools will be fools
And wise will be wise
But i will look this world
Straight in the eyes

I believe in a better way!
I believe in a better way!

What good is a man
Who won’t take a stand
What good is a cynic
With no better plan

I believe in a better way!
I believe in a better way!

Reality is sharp
It cuts at me like a knife
Everyone i know
Is in the fight of their life

I believe in a better way!

Take your face out of your hands
And clear your eyes
You have a right to your dreams
And don’t be denied

I believe in a better way!
I believe in a better way!
I believe in a better way!