I did not visit New York City for many years following September 11, so I did not experience the great depths of sadness and unity that permeated the city following the attacks.  My earliest first hand encounter with a physical representation of 9/11, with pieces of the Towers in fact, occurred in Caen, France, a city in Normandy located about three hours west of Paris.  In 2004 when I visited Le Memorial de Caen, a fantastically curated museum primarily dedicated to sharing an in-depth day-to-day look at World War II, I took a few moments away from the main exhibit to wander the grounds on an overcast and cool summer afternoon.  There in the gardens, tucked away from the main path, was a simple yet poignant memorial that the museum had put together to honor those who lost their lives on 9/11.  I was completely unprepared to stumble upon it and was moved to tears to see that the event that continued to have such a massive impact on the country of my birth had not been forgotten by the people of France.

France, Paris specifically, was the first place I ever truly felt at home.  It still is.  Something about the proper yet bohemian cultural undercurrents speaks to my soul and makes me feel understood, safe and happy.  I am returning to Paris with my husband in a little over a month on the last stop of our honeymoon.  I know that the Paris I find will be a very different Paris than the one that I remember.  Those of us who lived through September 11 know that an event like the one that occurred last Friday shakes you to your core and that you never see the world quite the same way.  It does not mean that you become fearful, it does not mean that you don’t continue to live.  Rather you grasp hold of every beautiful moment and every loved one in your life a bit harder because you have learned that none of it should be taken for granted.

The citizens of Paris will continue uniting and rising as they so beautifully have always done following tragedy.  I am humbled to be visiting my second home so soon after these atrocities and know that the city needs to be treated with more love and sensitivity than ever before.  That is how each and every one of us need to be treated – with respect, compassion and support.

As we enter into this holiday season our hearts weigh heavy and reminders of the fleeting nature of life are fresh on our minds.  But let us not focus our energy on catastrophes occurring around us; let us not focus in fear on a small minority who wish to bring harm to others.  Instead, let us focus on working to love and understand one another on a massive, global scale.  It sounds like an insurmountable task, but it really starts with just one person.  Mend those broken family bridges, volunteer and gain exposure to individuals you might never cross paths with otherwise, share something you are passionate about with others.  It doesn’t matter what you’re doing; if you’re spreading love and hope you are doing good.  After all, love is the only thing that can effectively combat hate.  Love is the only thing that can heal us all.

A note: In the past week I have seen many individuals raise the very valid point that the tragedy in Paris is just one of many atrocities that has occurred and continues to occur in our world.  I in no way wish to minimize the horrors and suffering that have taken and continue to take place elsewhere.  I chose to focus solely on Paris because of the deep personal connection I have with the city.