Remember.
Today is 9/11/08.
9/11/01 is a day I won't ever forget.
I was a wife of seven years. I was a mom of a four year old girl and a one year old boy.
I dropped the kids off at the daycare and went to work that morning. I said hello to my team and was working on my computer. A co-worker turned to me just before 9am and said a plane flew into a building in New York. I got a puzzled look on my face, said something about where was the pilot, shrugged it off and went back to work.
Then someone came by and said ANOTHER plane had flown into a building in New York.
What??!!!
We went into a conference room where there was a tv. The only channel we could get was a financial new channel. They were so confused and in shock. As I watched the first video, I was also confused and in shock. I sat there most of the morning with my hand covering my mouth in shock. And in tears. And in silence.
I never journaled or scrapbooked about that day or about the feelings, worries, changes that came with more knowledge in the coming months. I regret that. Because my memory is now clouded with the experiences, knowledge and distance of the past seven years.
But I do remember.
I remember where I was on 9/11/01. I remember what happened. I remember the people who died or were injured that day. I remember the firefighters and police who ran toward the buildings. I remember the families.
After I remember, I pray.
I pray for the families that will never forget this day. I pray for all the people across the country who will never forget. I pray for our country. I pray for peace and community.
I pray that the issues that breed the hatred for the United States are addressed and we don't cause any more. I pray that people across the world, including here in the U.S., realize we are more alike than different. I pray that God will not let me forget that He loves all people and they are all His. I pray.
Where were you? What do you remember? What do you pray for?
2 comments:
On the west coast, we kinda woke up to the news, so most of us were in our pajamas hearing the news on the alarm clock... that's kinda surreal. Nell had a playdate scheduled, where we were going to make a video of ourselves reading storybooks to our kids--we still did that, so I have video of myself and Nell on that day. There's also some footage of the moms sitting around talking about the news while the kids play.
Peter was sent home from work because his office complex borders LAX, and all those buildings were closed as a precaution. My inlaws were supposed to fly into JFK that day, from San Francisco--after a few days, they gave up and drove down to be with us instead.
Those are some of my memories.
I stepped out of the shower that morning and overheard the radio in my bedroom announce something about a plane flying into the first tower. I remember thinking "what? No way..." I called to my DH in the living room to turn on a news channel to find out what was going on. He watched the second plane hit the second tower - live. I remember the surreal feeling, standing there in my living room, knowing from this day forward, things would never be the same.
Seven years - in many ways, a long time. In other ways, not so very long ago. I think of and pray for the survivors, the widows, the service men and women who helped on that day - how they are coping 7 years later....
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