the song, "morning has broken," by cat stevens

just moments after 9/11 occurred, i was at my small quaker elementary school in connecticut, writing prose about world peace and drawing serene pictures of a nearby creek. it wasn't until later that i found out that my dad had been in the attacks... and i thank the universe every day that he made it out alive. he ran and kept running and never looked back.
eventually, a service was held at the quaker meeting house at my school in honor of 9/11, and we sang this song, "morning has broken", as a congregation, a family united in tragedy. i still remember looking over at my dad, cripled with tears in my mother's arms, and to this day i can't listen to the song without remembering 9/11 and crying out of gratuity because my father is still alive when so many others were lost, and crying out of grief for all of the innocent mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and friends that america lost that day.

Anna