As I sit in my chair in the safe living room of my cottage in Port Arthur, Texas, I have my hand over my heart and I’m singing “God Bless America” after our President Trump addressed the survivors, families, heroes and military regarding 9/ll, an attack on our beautiful  country  18 years ago, murdering thousands of people, so devastating and heart-breaking as the buildings fell with people in them, never to return home that day.

I am proud to be an American for so many reasons, but also of how we have survived, cleaned-up and continue to help and support New York families left homeless, without spouses who provided their living conditions, and the “follow up.” A big thank you for the responders then and now.

A wonderful event that happened Sept. 11, 2012, was the birth of my darling great-granddaughter, Lilia Frakes, who is celebrating her seventh birthday today and Saturday. She wants gumbo and cake for her treats to share with friends and family at her birthday party. This girl is hard to find for a hug sometimes, as she runs and twirls everywhere she goes. I can only find her if she is wearing polka dots or shiny, silky dresses her seamstress mom, Bevin, has created for her. I love when she runs up behind me with a “surprise hug” for her gram. She can be found at her dance classes, drawing on her clip board or in her very feminine bedroom with her dolls and many toys. Happy Day, Lilia!

My other girl, Shannon, was born on Sept. 15 and will be celebrating Sunday. She is my oldest daughter and truly a “California girl” who got to hang out with some of the celebrities we worked with in the music studios in Hollywood as a 7-year-old, like Johnny Rivers, Terry Melcher (Doris Day’s son and record producer), The Byrds and many more, who all thought she was beautiful and funny, telling her they would wait for her to grow up (as daddy, Mike, moved her and his guitar, away from them, frowning).  She’s still beautiful, brilliant and funny, with the looks of a fashion model, qualities she exudes as she manages a law office and is a successful paralegal, happily married with a lovely home in the Dallas area. Happy Day, Shannon!

So, you see, some wonderful, joyous occasions happened and continue to happen in September each year in our family and I’m certain others, and while we will never forget and will remember the pain of that day years ago and pray for survivors (one and all), we move on in life now and strive to make a change in our world by voting for good leaders who make powerful decisions to protect our borders and all of us being quality Americans (one and all).

Kathie Deasy writes about faith for The Port Arthur News