On September 11 this year, I will be remembering with sorrow the good people lost that clear and bright September day nine years ago. But I will also be moving forward and celebrating, enjoying the religious freedom guaranteed by the First Amendment of our Constitution. Ganesh Chaturthi, the Hindu celebration of the elephant-headed god Ganesh, falls on September 11 this year. We will be decorating our home, making special foods, and hosting an honored guest, the priest who performed our wedding, for a special ritual.
Ganesh is known as the “god of obstacles.” We look to Ganesh to help us through difficult times and to make the way smooth, but if we are not following the correct path, Ganesh will put obstacles in our way to try to guide us. He loves sweets almost as much as my son does, and he treasures his family. He is usually depicted with his hands raised in blessing. On Ganesh Chaturthi, Ganesh returns to Earth for a short time to enjoy being with his devotees. At the end of the celebration, clay icons of Ganesh are immersed in water, returning him to the soil from which he came and symbolizing the cycle of life and death that rules over every living creature.
Although my heart still aches for those lost on September 11, moving forward and celebrating helps ease that pain. I am proud to live in a country where we are free to worship as we choose and to celebrate as we choose. This Ganesh Chaturthi, we pray that this valuable freedom will be honored and treasured by all Americans.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
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