Princess and the Bug: Teaching our children to celebrate death?

Today is without a doubt, a day that will be marked in history. Nearly 10 years ago, I remember standing with my friends before school in shock thinking everything that was being said was just a dream. In class we watched as the towers fell, NYC filled with dust and debris from the fallen towers. People running, literally for their lives. We'll always be haunted by that day.

Today, I sit in shock overwhelmed with so many emotions. Sadness, joy, relief, disgust, bitter, terrified, thankful.... I'm just... sigh. I probably shouldn't even write at this point because I don't know where my mind is.

I woke up from an evening nap, came to sit in the living room with my family to relax. Looked on Facebook, everything was crazy "Osama is DEAD". Still half asleep, we flipped the TV from what the kids were watching to CBS news.

My first reaction was to shout! I was excited! Almost 10 years later, he's finally been found! No more questioning it, it's him. Confirmed and all. One step closer! Then just before President Obama came on to speak, Bradley wanted to know what was going on. How do I tell him we're clapping and giving praise because a man is dead? How do I explain what this person has done? What am I suppose to tell my child? Am I suppose to teach my child that it's OK to be happy that this person died? I don't believe in sheltering my children from truth and the real world. But I do believe in protecting their youth and innocence. Do I open my child's eyes to the evil that goes on in our world? Or do I lie and make something up to feed his need to know?

I cried as I told him "The biggest bad guy in the world is dead." I cried for all the lives lost, and because I was tearing down my child's innocence. I explained that he killed a lot of people. Men, women, children. I'm sure that everything I tried to explain to him went over his head a bit. I'm glad that I was able to sit here and witness this day with my children, even if they wont remember it 20 years from now.

I know it's my uncontrolled emotions that are all over the place, but I'm questioning myself. Did I tell him the right thing? I just explained to my son that a man was killed because of his actions, and we're celebrating it.

No, I just taught my son to celebrate murder.

Isn't this what THEY did when they broke our invisible wall of invincibility? When they broke down our freedoms and made us fear for our lives? They CELEBRATED and ran rampant in their streets. CELEBRATED that they succeeded in killing so many lives. Is that who I want to be? What I want my children to be?

I'm not a political person. 99% of the time I stay out of anything related. I don't force my opinions, and I listen openly to other's. Politics aside, I stand behind the US Military men and women with 100% of my heart and pride. I'm so thankful for all that they have sacrificed to ensure our freedoms. I'm thankful for the families that stand behind, worrying over their soldiers when they're gone. So tomorrow, when we wake up and everything is still crazy, I'm going to make sure I sit down with my baby boy and talk. I will reiterate that Osama was a bad guy. I will tell him that 2,977 men, women & children died on 9/11. I will tell him that over 4,450 Americans have died because of the war. I will tell him that their lives were sacrificed to ensure that America remains the land of the free.

Tomorrow, I will tell my son that we are not celebrating murder. We're celebrating everyone who's lives have been sacrificed. We're remembering the lives that were taken too soon, the families who buried loved ones who went to war, and so much more.

Even I am guilty of it, because I said it too. But "Justice" has not been served. Not yet at least. I can only imagine that this is fuel to an already burning fire. I'm worried f or what is coming in the near future.

God Bless America and our troops. The day we really need to celebrate is when this is OVER and our men and women are HOME!