Through the years, even when we all celebrated Labour Day, it never seemed to be the end of summer until we helped Jen Paige welcome in another year. Her birthday was always a three-day affair; Fridays with her school chums, Saturday with her close friends, filling the air in the house with giggles and the occasional squeal when a particularly sought-after gift was unwrapped. Sunday was for the extended family. The largest gathering of the three, it was one of the few times during the year when the almost 40 of us could kick back and visit around bowls of pretzels, the crock pot filled with her Dad's killer chili and a third cake.

September 11 2001 saw not only the end of her childhood, but the end of her innocence.

She asked her older sister if she realized how many kids lost parents today. Another child wondered aloud if there were going to be enough cemetaries to hold everyone lost in the attacks.

My older, slightly more cynical view of the events that I've watched unfold on web sites and in chat is one that reaffirms my beliefs: No one is safe anywhere.

As hard as parents or governments may try, we are all potential targets. It doesn't matter whether it's an attack by a Lone Gunman or an evil, intricate plot hatched by a religious or politcal group of nutjobs in a forest or jungle thousands of miles away from our homes. We are all susceptible. Hell, don't forget about the guy who got off tampering with Tylenol bottles...

Jennifer will wake up tomorrow morning with an altered view of the world. That's fitting, since the world has indeed been altered.

Terrorists win when they incite terror. Please make an effort fight against that. Give blood, offer your home to those who are stranded, pray.

To all my friends who have been touched by this 'act of war', may God bless you and keep you.

Happy Birthday, Jen Paige.

Posted at 9:38 p.m.