Thanksgiving Countdown, Day 14: Friday the Thirteenth

Friday the thirteenth is famously supposed to be an unlucky day, when terrible things happen. Of course, it's pure superstition, like how breaking a mirror causes seven years of bad luck.

And for most of the world, yesterday was no exception. It was a normal day for most, above average for some, perhaps unlucky for a few.


But in Paris, it was an unusually, unfairly, unimaginably dark day.

In much the same spirit of the 9/11 attacks here in the USA, terrorists spread fear and chaos throughout the beautiful city of Paris.

They attacked multiple locations, leaving the whole city reeling. I'm sure no one felt safe, even those hidden away in their own homes.

And although the death toll was not on the same scale as 9/11, the apparent randomness of the targeted locations no doubt left people feeling just as terrified. Would they or one of their loved ones find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time? Would they be next?

Terrorists work through fear. They attempt to make innocent people feel unsafe in their own cities and homes. They strive to make people feel helpless, and hopeless, and weak. They want the people they attack to be too afraid to fight back.

You would think that the terrorists would have learned by now that those tactics don't work on us.

France supported us on 9/11

Are we shaken by these events? Of course.

Do we fear for ourselves and those we love? Absolutely.

Do our hearts break for those killed, injured, and grieving? Without a doubt.

But will we ever lay ourselves down and surrender?

NEVER.

When we in the United States were attacked fourteen years ago, we were wounded. We were shocked. Our hearts were broken. But we rebuilt them stronger than ever, and we bonded as a nation. We fought back, harder than we ever had before. We refused to lie down and die.

And the world stood behind us. They had our backs.


Now it's our turn to do the same for France.

I was so touched to see how our country, and others of France's allies, made their support known. They held press conferences, offering aid and support. They flew flags and lit buildings with the French colors. The internet was flooded with thoughts of love, support, and prayer for our brothers and sisters in Paris.

We stand united with France.

And I know they'll come back from this, stronger than ever before. The terrorists didn't win anything yesterday. Not any battle, and certainly not the war. All they did was paint a huge target on their own backs.

I'm grateful for the support we were shown by the rest of the world on 9/11. And I'm grateful that we can now return the favor to those suffering in Paris. I'm grateful that the world is full of pretty decent people, who look at events like these and say, "This will not stand."

I'm grateful for the strength of the human spirit. I'm grateful that we can not only recover from blows like these, but we can come back stronger than ever.

San Francisco supports Paris

I stand with you, France, even if it means my husband has to be gone more often, to do his part in bringing justice to those who have harmed your people on your own soil. These atrocities will not be brushed aside or forgotten.

You're in our hearts, thoughts, and prayers.