With September 11 looming on the calendar again, people traumatized by the event may fear a repeat of something else all too familiar--the terrible emotions that they felt a year ago. The Rev. Dr. Michael T. Curd, vice president for Pastoral Care at Methodist Healthcare, and his staff deal with traumatic situations daily in their work with patients at Methodist Healthcare facilities throughout the city. Chaplain Curd offers some very insightful observations and advice about the upcoming anniversary of the terrorist attacks on America.

Public observances and family rituals are important. Chaplain Curd says that in times of trauma, people turn to their anchors and their convoys. Anchors are the bedrock of people's lives, such as their faith and their families. In relation to 9-11, our patriotism--our loyalty to and appreciation for our country and our willingness to make sacrifices for the common good--is also an anchor. Another anchor is the belief of Americans that, in times of crisis, we as a people can rise to the occasion and handle any situation. Convoys are our support network--the people who care about us and that we care about. They are the people who have gone through the crisis with us. Chaplain Curd says that public ceremonies, services in places of worship, and family rituals will play an important role in observing the upcoming anniversary. "For people who worship regularly, they should plan to attend church the Saturday or Sunday before and the Saturday or Sunday after the anniversary," he said. "Families also should get together for dinner as a time of reflection, support and healing."

On September 11 Methodist Healthcare will host ecumenical services of remembrance at all of its hospitals. The services are open to the public. For more information on times and locations, persons should phone the Methodist Healthcare HealthLine at 210-575-0355.

Anniversaries offer a second chance for closure. "Some individuals, particularly those involved directly in the trauma, like firefighters and emergency medical personnel, and those who lost loved ones in the attacks, may not yet have allowed themselves to process the event." said Chaplain Curd. "They were too close to it and had to compartmentalize their feelings to get through it. As the anniversary brings these feelings back, it also offers them the chance to talk about it and get their feelings out. Then they can get closure."

We'll always remember. Closure doesn't mean that we'll forget. How many of us remember where we were when we learned that President Kennedy had been assassinated? We have closure on that event, but we still remember it. Participating in public observances and family rituals are part of our remembering process.

Forgiveness is essential for closure. "Forgiving does not mean that we liked what the terrorists did," explains Chaplain Curd. "Forgiveness means that you did not let them 'take up residence in your body,' as a survivor of the Holocaust has so appropriately described it. Forgiveness means that you let go and that you no longer are going to carry the pain caused by the terrorists' actions."

Something good can come out of something bad. Americans are experiencing and expressing an increased sense of patriotism since last September 11. They also have shown tolerance of people of other faiths and traditions. "We have been much more inclusive than exclusive," said Chaplain Curd. "Americans recognize that terrorists are not mainstream Muslims."

STORY IDEAS

• With advance notice, we can arrange for interviews with Chaplain Curd on coping with the first anniversary of the September 11th terrorism.
• Methodist Healthcare will be hosting ecumenical services of remembrance at all its hospitals on September 11. With advance notice we will be glad to work with media on coverage of the services. The services will be open to the public and we encourage media to include them in listings of anniversary events and stories about anniversary activities.
• Two members of the pastoral care staff at Methodist Healthcare worked at "ground zero" in the days after the attack. Glenn Calkins, clinical pastoral education supervisor, and Pamela Washburn, chaplain clinician, served as members of the American Red Cross Air Incident Response Team. With advance notice we can set up media interviews with them.

If you are interested in doing a story, please phone Shirley Wills at 822-2378 or 860-5289 (mobile) or JoAnn King, 575-0171 or 604-3013 (pager).