Remembering 9/11: Duty in the Ordinary
Twenty-five years ago this September, firefighters answered a call that began like countless others before it. What made them ready wasn't something extraordinary they did that particular morning. It was the years of ordinary mornings that came before it: the drills, the discipline, the steady showing up for the big, and the small. Their readiness for the extraordinary had already been built, one ordinary duty at a time.
What does duty ask of an ordinary person, on an ordinary day? Perhaps duty asks the simple question, "how can I love my neighbor?"
Maybe we all have an ordinary, everyday duty. Some have "ordinary duties" outside of the home, diligently filling orders, tending to sick patients, protecting the community, or leading meetings. Others have them inside the home: tending to a hungry infant, gently reasoning with a toddler, caring for an elderly parent, teaching a teen how to drive, prepping meals, teaching or helping with homework. Ordinary duty can be following through on a small promise, even when no one would notice if we didn't, or choosing order over chaos in each corner of our homes.
25 years ago, the ordinary task of protecting and serving a community became an extraordinary mission to save as many lives as possible in the wake of a then-unknown attack. Today, we remember and pray for those who were lost and impacted on that day.
As the nights start turning cooler and the first campfires of the season crackle back to life, this could be an opportunity to gather with family or friends and let the conversation turn toward memory. A story about where you were that day. A moment when someone in your life answered a call to duty, big or small. There's something grounding about sharing these stories over a yummy treat, watching the flickers of firelight and warming up with those closest to you.
In the end, treasuring our families and telling our stories might be the truest way to honor a day like this one: with the same steady faithfulness that turned an ordinary morning into something none of us will ever forget.
"Understand this well: there is something holy, something divine, hidden in the most ordinary situations, and it is up to each one of you to discover it."
— St. Josemaría Escrivá
Building a S'mores Board
This yummy board lays out all the fixings so everyone can build their own s'mores creation exactly the way they like it. You can even pick and choose from the suggestions below to create one that fits your preferences!
Building a S'mores Board
From the Baker Mama
S'mores Snack Mix:
- 1 cup Golden Grahams cereal
- 1/2 cup mini marshmallows
- 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips
Skillet S'mores Dip:
- 1 cup good melting chocolate chips
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
Marshmallows:
- S'more-sized marshmallows
- Regular marshmallows
- Cinnamon churro smashmallows
- Birthday cake marshmallow bites
- Chocolate covered marshmallow bites
Cookies:
- Graham crackers
- Fudge-striped cookies
- Pretzel crisps
- Chewy chocolate chip cookies
- Milano cookies
- Graham cracker dippers
- Nilla wafers
Chocolates:
- Hershey's milk chocolate bars
- Ghirardelli gourmet chocolate squares
- Milk chocolate and peanut butter cup thins
- White creme and peanut butter cup thins
- Hershey's cookies 'n' creme chocolate bars
Extras:
- Peanut butter
- M&M's Minis
- Sliced strawberries
- Sliced bananas
Instructions
1. Start with a large wood board (about 24×18 inches) as your base.
2. Make the S'mores Snack Mix by combining the Golden Grahams, mini marshmallows, and chocolate chips in a small bowl, then add it to the board.
3. Add the peanut butter and M&M's Minis to the board in separate small bowls.
4. Prep the Skillet S'mores Dip so it's ready to go in the oven right before serving.
5. Add the strawberry and banana slices to the board in separate bowls.
6. Arrange the marshmallows, cookies, and chocolates across the board, leaving space in one corner for the skillet dip. Set the graham cracker dippers and Nilla wafers aside to place near the skillet later.
7. Bake the S'mores Dip, then place it on the board with a hot pad underneath (and on the handle, if it gets hot).
8. Add the graham cracker dippers and Nilla wafers next to the dip.
9. Serve near a campfire, fireplace, or oven so everyone can roast their marshmallows.
10. Let everyone build their own s'mores and enjoy.
