In Honor of 9/11

Several weeks after 9/11, 2001, I was awakened with the following poem in my head. I tried for several hours to go back to sleep, but couldn't. I finally got up, got a pad and pen, and began writing it down. I always thought it would make a fitting tribute; perhaps as a poem or even a song. It is still waiting for someone to put it to music.

Over the ensuing years, it has been modified for camp and other themes, but it remains the standard for what a "Cool Kind Kid" can and should be. The next blog entry will contain the original poem. I want to give you the chorus, or final stanzas of the poem first, since they have more meaning for remembering 9/11. The chorus has had two endings. The original, given to me right after 9/11 is the following:

I'm a citizen of the USA
And proud to say I care
I'll fly our flag so high
They'll see it everywhere

I'll respect our
Rights and freedom
Until the day I die

And when I see our flag
Fly in a clear, safe sky,
I'll cry!

The second ending is:
I'll be happy when
I see our flag
Fly in a clear, safe sky

Children have so many questions about 9/11 that we often can get confused by what and how much to tell them. Honesty, though usually always the best policy, must be tempered with what they can relate to age wise. An important part of any social skills training is to instill a sense of patriotism and love of country in our children.