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I have no time for hatred. I look into the eyes of soldiers; I listen to the voices of world leaders; I hear the spirituality in different faiths, and all I can think is, we have no time for hate. Life is too short, and I think most of us learned this lesson above all others from September 11th. My life is about understanding, peace, and reaching out, reaching up. I now have 3 beautiful children, the first of which was conceived a month after September 11, and I want them to hope and love. The day of the attacks, I was on my way to work as a 9th grade English teacher. It was early in the morning, so early as I drove the short distance to the high school parking lot. During the drive, I had a moment of immense sadness; I felt I could hear angels crying; I felt as if something terrible was going to happen and nothing could be done to stop it. I called my husband on my cell, and crying, I told him I feel so sad and I don't know why. When I reached the school, I had a free period for the first round of classes. I was sitting in a friends classroom waiting and planning for the rest of the day when my husband called me on my cell and told me to call him from a landline since the reception was poor. I went to the teacher's lounge in our area and called him; he told me about the towers being attacked. We hung up, and I went back to my friends classroom and told her what had happened according to my husband. Within minutes, the announcement was made to the entire school. We trudged through the day, calming students, trying to stay positive, and all I could think was why so much hatred. So now, I have no time for hate, only love.

I live in another country right now, and on September 11th, I will watch the ceremonies and speeches I can find on television; I know I will cry as I remember. I will talk with my children; I will remember with my husband; I will pray; and I will continue to hope and love.