Remembering 9/11

Growing up, I remember people talking about how they remembered exactly where they were when they heard that President Kennedy has been shot. I thought it was interesting how big of a deal a certain time in history can be, but never thought I would have one of those “I remember” stories. September 11, 2001 changed that for me.

I was off work that morning and had to go to the doctor. I heard the office staff whispering about whether they should close since the doctor’s office was in a tall building. I finally went up to the desk and told the ladies that I wasn’t sure what they were talking about, but they had sufficiently scared all of us in the waiting room. That’s when they told me the news. I realized then that I hadn’t heard about what was going on because the radio was broken in my car.

Have you thought about the fact that the kids in your children’s ministry today are like I was hearing the stories of President Kennedy. None of them were even born when 9/11 happened. It’s hard to believe that something so fresh in my mind could be so foreign to the kids that I am teaching.

How do you handle remembering 9/11 with your kids? I believe that it is important to think about the day and tell kids about the events, but I also don’t really want to scare them. I think it is best to be able to help kids process during remembrances of grief and tragedy. Here are some helpful articles to think about when helping kids in difficult times.

• Grief in Times of Crisis
• Dealing with Children During Crisis
• Children in Crisis

Jeff Land loves Life! That’s pretty great, because his job here at Lifeway is the Team Leader for Bible Studies for Life: Kids. Jeff loves his life which is so blessed by his amazing wife, Abbey, and their four sons, Reed, Nash, Will, and Tuck. A natural encourager and fun-lover, look for Jeff’s posts about teacher appreciation and game ideas. When not serving at work, Jeff serves 2nd graders at his church, First Baptist Church, Joelton, TN.