Where Were You When . . . ?
By Hal and Judy Haralson, Austin, TX

            Some of us were around on November 22, 1963 when the assassination of President Kennedy took place. We have answered that question for years. Where were you?

            December 7, 1941? This really reaches back into history. Pearl Harbor. Where were you?

            How about September 11, 2001? My friend looked at me and blushed . . . “You aren’t going to believe this.”

            “I have a small television in my bathroom and when I stepped in and began my shower, all was right with the world.”

            “When I opened the shower door, all hell had broken loose.” In that short period of time, the world was overturned.

            What do you want to say to the world, to your family? What were your feelings that moment?

            As I wrestled with these questions, Judy (my wife of 45 years) showed me the message she had sent to members of her family on her I-Mac machine. This profoundly simple message really touched my heart. With her permission, I share it with you.

This week has certainly brought home how important all of you are to me. I am awed at the power of evil to completely devastate and bring me to my knees. I am even more awed and amazed at the power of God (good, creative, redemptive) to assure and raise me up. My prayer has been and will continue to be “through the night with the light from above.” Thank you all for being family with me and loving me and each other the way we all do.

So often, I have heard comparisons made to Pearl Harbor. I was in Abilene visiting my other grandmother “Annie” that December day—actually it was evening—when we were listening to the radio in the middle sitting room of her house, which was also her bedroom. I think mother and daddy had gone back home, but anyway just she and I were there. I remember her being upset, and I remember President Roosevelt’s deep voice, but I had no idea what was happening. It was a long way away and not affecting me in any kind of immediate way.

The time I do remember was D-Day. Again, I was in Abilene. This time I was visiting Mamma. We were in the kitchen listening to the radio. I don’t remember anything about what was said, but Mamma was crying. I asked her why and she said, “So many of our boys have died.” I so much wanted to comfort her and didn’t know how. By that time I had a little understanding about what “war” meant and I was afraid. I remember the three families that lived with Mamma and Pappaw when CampBarkley was so full. I remember savings bonds, air raid drills, metal and rubber scrap collection, news reels at the movies, songs and posters and Victory gardens. I remember when President Roosevelt died my mother cried and was sure that we would be invaded and lose the war. By then my belief in America, Uncle Sam, and The Stars and Stripes was unshakable. I knew we would be alright.

Another thing I remember about those times is that every night I prayed that God would “bless the Germans and the Japs,” because Jesus said to pray for our enemies. I am afraid I have a more difficult time as an adult praying for terrorists today, but they really are not that different from the enemies my childlike faith was trusting God to handle. I just pray that my adult responsibility, reasoning, awareness, accountability, reality, etc. can also be flavored with a little bit of childlike faith trusting God to handle it. These are hard times.

I love you all and hope this hasn’t been too much. Another thing I have been so much more aware of this week is that a certain 65 year old, adult, grown-up, grandmother, professional counselor, me—misses my mommy. Judy

We all need some of Judy’s childlike faith in God . . . and in the Stars and Stripes.

Updated Sunday, March 07, 2004