Happy Friday! Hope you all had a great week like one Paraolympian whose trip to Tokyo has been quite memorable for multiple reasons. Even if she doesn’t win the gold, she’s already won her running guide’s heart. Definitely a sweet story to share with future grandchildren!
Tomorrow, as you likely know, is the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on 9/11/01. It’s hard to believe, frankly. An entire generation has passed and the kids headed to college this week only know life after that major world event. For the victims’ loved ones and the first responders, it’s an ever-present reality.
This weekend, I’d like to encourage you all to keep those families and first responders in your prayers. The past year and change of COVID likely hasn’t made coping with grief, illness, and PTSD any easier.
That being said, we do have a reason to celebrate today. It’s Friday, my friends! That glorious day of the work week when we get to dream about weekend plans-or a coveted lack of weekend plans. And guess what? Here’s another “5 Things” to make the day good by a little more smoothly. Enjoy!
1) To start things off on the lighter side, sing-a-long with some karaoke fans attempting to do justice to ABBA songs. The lovely Bjorn is also a great sport. A cute video made possible by the comedian Michael McIntyre!
2) The Secret Service Twitter account has been sharing memories and photographs all week from their response to 9/11 with more to come. In fact, if you follow the hashtags #September11 or #NeverForget on most social media, you can see more tributes and stories of great courage.
3) A new podcast from Amazon Music called 9/12 delves into the aftermath in 2001. Learn some interesting effects from the filming of a reality show at sea to writing The Onion. A word of warning, there is a smattering of salty language. Feel free to skip this one, if that’s not your cup of tea.
4) As challenging as that day was, 9/11 turned out to be a beautiful day for two travelers. Their flight was diverted to Canada and love began to bloom. A sweet story and a reminder to look for good things in the world even when everything seems to be going wrong.
5) Not 9/11-related for this last one but definitely worth sharing. The much-beloved Steve from Blues Clues addressed the world this week. It’s definitely one of the loveliest speeches one could imagine from the former star of a children’s TV program. And, yes, you might want to have tissues ready for this one. If you need a chuckle afterward, Steve’s story on The Moth is quite amusing!
Okay, that’s all for now. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
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