I have a 35 yr old son, a 29 yr old daughter (her husband is 36 and we love him, too) and my daughter is 15 weeks pregnant with our first grandchild!

I feel a definite interest in seeing that their safety is insured - at least as best as we can hope for.

My SIL travels on business at least twice a month - flying around the country. My son was just on a tour across country with a music group.(all since Sept 11th) My husband and I are flying back & forth between TX & CA on a monthly basis.

Our freedom is very important to me. I don't want people to be treated unfairly but, if they're guests in this country, I want to know where they are and what they're doing. If I have to relinquish a few freedoms for that to happen, or wait longer in a line at the airport while they check my belongings, or be patted down after they've searched me (it happens almost every time I fly - my grey hair must make me look suspicious *L*) then that's the price I'm willing to pay.

I think we're fooling ourselves to think that our life as we've known it will ever be back to what we thought of as "NORMAL". To cope with that and to try to keep our world a more sane place, I agree with Myra (above).

I try to keep loving thoughts in my mind. I don't automatically label anyone or look for wrong because of a nationality or religion and don't want our government to do so either. I think our President has been very outspoken about feeling the same way.

My hope is that someday EVERYONE regardless of their upbringing (whatever they've been taught) will follow the adage to "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!" Wouldn't that make the whole world a better place?
(((((HUGS)))))
Verna