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Aug 7, 2011 
On the way home from our Sunday evening ritual of going to get ice cream, my little family and I were riding in the car playing a little game. Name 10. We were naming 10 of various topics.
Topic: Name 10 people you’d love to sit down with, have a coffee and just chat with (dead or alive).
Jackson (my 5 year old) went first. This is his unedited list (word for word – I took notes):
- Ratliff Boon (this is the founder of our little hometown Boonville, IN)
- Barack Obama
- Noah
- Mickey Mouse
- Tom Bergeron (Host for America’s Funniest Home Videos)
- Jesus
- Whoever lives in that house
- Director of the movie “Cowboys and Aliens”
- A street worker (his Dad said, “Good thing he didn’t say ‘walker.’”)
- Grandma Pearl (my grandmother who died about a year and a half ago).
Then because he couldn’t narrow it down to 10 he added these two
11. The whole band from Black Eyed Peas
12. Benjamin Franklin
Other topics we tried were: Name 10 forms of chocolate (pudding, ice cream, milk, etc), 10 TV shows, then 10 famous buildings/structures. After hearing the kids’ and Jim’s structures I said, “The world trade……” and for about a milisecond I had forgotten they weren’t there. This spurred another conversation. I went on to explain what these building were, what their importance was and what terrible thing happened to them on Sept 11, 2001. Jackson and Alex listened with astute attention and were shocked that someone would do something so evil. I explained about how his Daddy and I were just dating and that was a moment the whole country….even the world…will remember forever. I spoke of the firefighters and police officers that were running in when everyone else was running out. I was trying not to scare my children but also really wanted to explain the day as it affected me, the country, and the collective psyche of Americans. Jackson says very softly and tenderly, “We should pray for those people.” I was a bit taken aback by this and also my heart grew. I said, “You are right buddy. And their families who are still alive and have to live every day missing them.”
This is the prayer he said to the best of my memory,
“Dear God, please be nice to the people who died in the world trade towers on that September day back when Mommy and Daddy were dating. And to those mean guys who did that….please shoot them with a gun right in the gut. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”
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