"Wake me when September Ends" by Green Day is the song that rattles through my brain from the end of August through the end of September. There are so many dates in the four weeks from September 11 - October 6 that tug at my emotions. It begins of course, with the anniversary of 9/11, followed by our annual fundraiser, the Jeff Coombs Memorial Road Race, Walk and Family Day, my birthday, Jeff's birthday (just three days apart and within the week of September 11) and then as the emotions begin to settle, mine and Jeff's anniversary on Oct. 6.
But this September was filled with a couple more dates that inspired, made me cry, made me think, and made me say "WOW." I had the unreal opportunity to be within viewing range of Pope Francis at the 9/11 Memorial in late September. This was one of those odd, bittersweet blessings that resulted from Jeff's death. While standing there watching him pray at the South Reflecting Pool, I thought of Jeff and how he would be laughing, happy that I was there, knowing how much I had hoped to be there. I didn't get to meet the Pope, but being in his presence was still pretty amazing. He's unlike all the others before him -- he's more relatable because he feels more like us, on a much more spiritual level, of course. But rather than seeming like a super-human, he appears to be more like someone's grandpa who happened to become Pope! His smile is sweet and infectious, and his modesty is endearing. "Pray for me," he often says to the people. 
In such harsh contrast to this kind, gentle presence among us, as we stood watching the multi-denominational Meeting for Peace on an outside screen, and as people sang along with the children's choir "Let there be Peace on Earth," I looked away at the roof of the 9/11 Museum where sharp shooters stood ready with their automatic weapons. I thought "this is what we've become." Sad.And back to the sweetness of it all, as Pope Francis rode by in the motorcade in his miniature Fiat, we just had to laugh, and wave as he waved back. I walked out of Memorial Park feeling a little more blessed having been in the presence of the Holy Father, and happy to have shared it with my good friend Mary.
The very next day I attended the dedication of the Martin Richard statue and school of social justice at Bridgewater State University. Being among the couple hundred invited guests was truly an honor. At only 8 years old, Martin Richard had become somewhat of an ambassador for peace after being killed in the Boston Marathon bombings. The picture of him holding the sign "No More Hurting People -- Peace" became an iconic image of the tragic events of April 15, 2013. Both graduates of Bridgewater State College, Martin's parents Bill and Denise saw it fitting to accept the school's invitation to erect a statue of their young son there, delivering a simple message of Peace to the thousands of students who would pass by daily. In Bill's address to the crowd, he expressed his overwhelming gratitude for the support and the school's willingness to breathe life into a child's wish for Peace.
I couldn't help but smile through the tears that welled up after hearing Bill speak about losing their son as I saw Martin's little sister Jane (who is now nearly as tall as Martin was then) rest her hand on his shoulder, put her head next to his, and playfully give him bunny ears. The bitter-sweetness of this day and the pride Martin's family and friends felt was palpable -- you could see it in Bill and Denise's smiles and hear it in their words. As Bill told me afterward, they had many offers to memorialize their son, but the BSU statue just seemed right, and seemed more like an opportunity to continue Martin's message than to just erect a memorial.Feeling much like I did after I left Memorial Park the previous day, I left there feeling blessed.
I am blessed to have come to know the Richard family (but wish we had met under very different circumstances); blessed to be touched by the strength and compassion of this young family, and blessed to have been inspired by Bill's closing words -- "just be kind to people."And now with September gone for another year and what would have been our 31st wedding anniversary around the corner (putting to rest a long emotional month), the song in my head subsides slowly ...
As my memory rests
But never forgets what I lost
Wake me up when September ends.
