Remembering 9/11

This is the first anniversary of 9/11 that seems bearable. The pain has lessened over the years. I'm a New Yorker and I see this not only in myself but in others. It's finally something in the past; there is a protective buffer of time between us and that awful day.

But the event is still huge and horrific. Al Stefanelli at A Voice of Reason listed the names of everyone who was killed on that sunny Tuesday morning. It's amazing just to scroll through the list. There are so many names. Though we may feel less pain this year than last, it remains the greatest tragedy of our era.

Awwww. Doris Singleton died.

Doris Singleton.

Remember Doris Singleton? She was Lucy's perennial neighbor and women's club member. I used to love her character. There was just something special about her voice. It seemed to encapsulate the 1950s.

To this day, I find myself hearing (in her voice) the word, "Honestly!" Remember how people used this word, way back when? In today's terms, it would translate as "You've got to be kidding!" I still say "Honestly!" just like she did and every time I do it, I think of her. She lives in me. Truly.

Doris Singleton added something to this world. To my mind, that's what we should hope people say about us after we're gone. We were a plus, and the world is lessened by our departure.