Beauty and the Beast

I've been struggling to reconcile the two opposing events that each occurred over the weekend. The first, the majestic royal wedding of Prince William to the beautiful Catherine. The other, the long-awaited death of one of the world's most vicious killers, Osama bin laden.

While the weekend started off on a romantic high, it concluded with the news that the face of modern terrorism had been permanently censured. But like most breaking news stories, the initial effects are often fleeting and real life sets in all too soon.

We know from experience (Di & Charles) that even royal nuptials aren't immune to scandal and heartbreak. The wedding itself was memorable and telegenic and all things one hoped it would be, but in the end, it was just one day in the lives of two people. What truly matters is what they do with the promises uttered on that day moving forward.

Similarly, the killing of bin laden, while a welcome development in the war on terror, will not end terrorism. It was a welcome note and perhaps brief reprieve in what I fear has become a new way of life. My children will never know what it's like to run through the airport and board a plane just as it's about to pull away from the gate. Metal detectors and pat-downs are normal parts of travel to them. Post-9-11 life is radically different than it was prior to that horrific event and the elimination of its mastermind does not signal the end of the rampant terrorist ideology.

Each of these events, while so completely different, signify a beginning, but not an end. We can only hope and pray that the future outcome of each is a positive one.