March 22, 2016: Brussels

There are some days that you remember exactly what you were doing & where you were.   September 11, 2001 is one of those days.  I went to my Strength & Structures class during my 4th year of architecture school at 8am in the morning.  When I came out and went to my architecture studio, I began to hear about a plane that hit the Twin Towers.   I went home and met up with my roommates.  We watched the tv with wide, teary eyes as we learned what took place that morning.    

I remember waking up on Saturday morning, November 14th, 2015 and learning of the Paris attacks that occurred the night before on the 13th of November.   I woke up to a flood of emails and sad posts on Facebook about what had happened.  I then turned on the news to see what had happened.   It hit home.  We live only a 2-1/2 hour drive from Paris.  We have been to that city a handful or two times. Then, there was the ongoing manhunt in Brussels.  This was all unfolding in our "backyard."   It was too close for comfort.   My heart ached for France & Belgium.  

On March 22, 2016, I remember walking home from taking the boys to the bus stop.  Once home, I was online when I heard about a bomb going off at the Brussels airport.  Shock & disbelief is what I felt.  How could this happen at an airport...our airport?!  Then, we heard about a second bomb at the departure hall and then one at the metro.   A few months ago, I took that same metro line every Wednesday for a class I was taking in Brussels.  

How can people believe that hurting and killing others is a solution "to making this world a better place in their eyes."  It is unfathomable.   I wish these people would just understand that evil will never win.  

A quote, from a compilation of bible passages that I like & keep posted near my kitchen sink, sums up, in my opinion, how we should live:

"Lord, keep me focused on loving you and serving your people.  Make my love for you grow from the inside out so that it shines through everything I say, think, and do."  

-Ruth 2:1-3, 8-11; 4:13-17 & Psalm 128:1-5

An online drawing
 "Thoughts for Brussels & all Belgium."

An online artist's cartoon

France & Belgium mourning together.

Always!

All 28 NATO flags at half-staff the following day....quite moving.

So sometimes plans change.  3 days after the Brussels attacks we were supposed to go travel to Brussels to take the Eurostar to London and visit our friends, Jen & Paul, for Easter in England.  We planned to stay with them for 4 nights and then were going to take a train to Edinburgh to visit our old home.  We made plans to meet up with a family that hosted me for activities and dinners when I studied there.   However, we were restricted by the Embassy from going into Brussels, so we could not catch our train.  And quite frankly, it was too soon after.  The boys didn't want to go anywhere. So our Easter plans changed, and that was ok.  We were unable to get any kind of refund back, but that didn't matter because we had each other.  We were thankful to not have been immediately affected in the attacks like so many who were.    Our hearts ached for our beloved Belgium and those people & their families around the world who were affected.  It made us sad that what the world was seeing of a country we loved for almost 4 years & still love, was a terrorist brooding camp growing in our country.   How can these evil people exist?  Sadness didn't even explain how we felt.  We were grieving for our very small yet very international European country.  We have made so many amazing memories here and wouldn't trade it for the world.   Belgium & its people will always hold a special place in our hearts.

   

Easter morning before church at home

 

Taking turns with the camera!

We celebrated a lovely Easter dinner with some friends who had us over.    We had a great time.