I have spent the past day in tears. Like many Americans, I have ridden a very wild emotional rollercoaster over the past few days. I have seen the pictures, I have cried until I can’t cry only to find that there are many more tears flowing at the drop of a hat. A picture, a name, or a song just sends me running for the nearest hanky.

I know I’m not alone, and many of us have been experiencing a feeling of helplessness. But I’m not helpless. I have been blessed to live in a nation, which most people can only dream of. I have had troubles in my life, but I have also been very blessed. I am not rich; I am not anyone especially talented. I am just me. I am just a citizen of the United States. I have had the opportunity to grow into a strong woman that can take an experience and grow from it.

I am not any different from any other United States citizen. We have all been blessed to be part of such a wonderful country. We all hold the keys to the strength within us. We can choose how we are going to react. We, as individuals can choose to be a helpless victim if we so desire, but I don’t. I want to show the world my strength. I to show others, that they too hold this strength inside them.

I can’t take you into your heart and head and show you that you have the strength there, but you can look into yourself and find it. I can only hope to show you ways in which you can help yourself by helping others. Through my articles I have shown you that you can help others in ways that you would not expect to be considered much of a help, but one other thing to consider is that it also helps you.

Volunteering shows you that you have strength that you may not have realized was hidden within you. You may not be able to go to New York and help search for survivors. But look around, there is plenty that you can do. Instead of sitting around worrying about what will happen next or demanding that those responsible are made to pay, we can work together to help others, while allowing the government officials the opportunity to do what they need to do in order to find those that are responsible.

Blood supply is always a problem, but with a tragedy like this, it can be even worse. Nationwide, people can donate blood. Not only will the need be more in New York and Washington, but in our local areas, they will need more. Where normally, local hospitals could get blood from surrounding areas, that may not be as available as before. So please if you can, please consider donating blood. You can either call the toll free number at 1-800-give life or your local hospital or Red Cross chapter.

But don’t stop there. Check out the website at www.redcross.org to find out how else you may be able to help. Not only are they accepting donations and volunteers, but the website also shows of several ways that others have been helping. You can help too! You do not have to be a huge company or a huge organization to help.

People can gather and take their combined talents and accomplish incredible things in order to help. You can get out information that has been verified of ways that others can help. You can help others find ways to help. Don’t think just of the normal ways that you can help as an individual, but think outside the box. It would be impossible for most of us to go to New York and help search, but we can gather supplies to send to the ones that are searching.

Look into your heart and see what you are comfortable doing and do a little more. Every time you do a little more you will see your strength and confidence growing. You will show the world that you are a strong individual that is not going to sit quietly and wait helplessly. You are going to get out there and do what you can to help your fellow Americans.

You are proud to be a citizen of such a wonderful nation. You are not making light of the tragedy of September 11, 2001, but you are moving forward. Two wrongs do not make a right. You choose to show the world what a blessing it is to be a citizen of such a strong nation of individuals as the United States will be prove themselves to be.