Sacrifices

When I was on my way to court this morning, I saw several firetrucks and firefighters on one of the bridges over 75. The trucks with their lights on. The firefighters facing the oncoming cars, their hands over their hearts. An American flag flying from the ladder on the ladder truck. And I began to cry. The image that always haunts me the most about 9/11 is the one of the firefighters running up the stairs while everyone else was running down.  They willfully chose to run into a situation where they didn't know what they would find, or if they would come back out, because, to them, their own safety and wellbeing was less important than the lives they might save because of their actions.  That is true sacrifice. And one that is hard for many of us to understand, because we can't imagine we could ever be that brave and that selfless for persons we've never met.

On this day, in particular, I want to specifically remember those who lost their lives on 9/11 in sacrifice to others that they would never meet or never know this side of heaven, and to pray peace and comfort for their families.

But I also want to think about the idea of sacrifice in general. Many of us make sacrifices every day that others often don't understand. Sometimes, those sacrifices, like those of the first responders on 9/11 and on every other day, are honored and revered. Sometimes they are judged, because they aren't sacrifices that we would make ourselves.

I had several hearings in court this morning. One of them was a prove up of a relinquishment of parental rights that a mother had executed. That's something I've seen often in my years of doing this kind of work, and each and every time, I am saddened.  No matter that it's typically the right thing, it's one of the biggest sacrifices that I see, day in and day out.

One of the persons involved in the case made the comment, I just don't understand how a mother could do that, how she could make that decision. The truth is, neither do I. But I also know that I will never know all that this mother has been through in her life that brought her to this point. I will never know all the trauma she has endured, the hardships she has overcome, and the demons she fights each and every day. So how could I possibly understand this sacrifice that she would make without knowing all the sacrifices she has had to make along the way? I know this wasn't a decision she made lightly, but was one that she truly thought was the best thing for her child and the best thing for herself. And as sad as that makes me, I respect her sacrifice.

There are other sacrifices that people make every day that we don't and can't understand. Sacrifices of lucrative and rewarding careers to stay home with children. Sacrifices to not have children to allow for focus on lucrative and rewarding careers. Sacrifices of nicer houses or newer cars to allow for travels and experiences, sacrifices of time off work to allow for money for things to make life easier. Life is full of sacrifices.  Some we understand. Some we don't. So on this day of recognition of great sacrifice, I want to recognize that each day sacrifices occur, and to pray that I might be more understanding of the sacrifices made by others, and to not judge a person for making a sacrifice I may not understand.