En Vitre

I haven't talked to him, but my son left a message with my daughter today that he was safe and sound with his French family in Vitre.  That means that he changed planes in Detroit, figured out the train schedule in Paris, activated his Eurailpass, and found his way around a new city to his family's home -- not bad, I'd say.

Chateau Fort en Vitre (11th century)

Of course, he gave my daughter virtually no information about his trip or arrival, and she asked for none.  So I am left with nothing but the knowledge that he is safe.

Which is actually a huge piece of information.  I was up at 4:00 this morning with a splitting headache, so I decided to go online while I waited for the meds to take effect and see whether he had perhaps emailed me from Charles de Gaulle airport.  What I found, of course, was the news of the two downed Russian airliners.  I have been sick about that all day.

My son was supposed to leave for his year in France from Logan Airport on September 12, 2001.  He and his father were en route to Providence via New York City when the planes hit the towers.  They went on to Providence to stay overnight with my sister-in-law and then came back home to wait out the decision making process.  About 10-12 days later he and I drove, with a friend of his and his friend's dad, to JFK, where the group took off for Paris.   Their program had high school students going to France, Italy, Spain and China for a year, and only two of them backed out in the wake of September 11.

It would not be possible to describe how difficult it was to leave my son at the airport that day.  I was sure that, even if they weren't all killed in flight, we would be at war shortly and he would be drafted.  My husband's response to those fears was that if our son was going to be killed in a war, then he'd better hurry up and get his year in France under his belt.  Perhaps he would never have another chance.  I had to agree with that line of reasoning.  In addition, I think we need to do all that  we can to fill the world with curious and generous young people who want to learn about and share in the lives of people of other nations and cultures.  We cannot allow ourselves to be held hostage at home by those who seek to fill the world with hatred and destruction.

All brave words -- words that rang completely hollow at 4:00 this morning when it was brought home to me that there are probably terrorists in the air again.

 

Walked today: 3 miles.