Dani woke up sick that day. I can't remember what was wrong with her, only that she went back to bed, and so did I. Aidan slept in his crib down the hall. He was 9 months old. I was 7 months pregnant with Ian, and happy to have the extra sleep.
But it was short-lived. My phone rang. It was my dear friend, Karen. "Turn on Good Morning America," she said. I did. Just in time to see the second plane hit. I remember saying, "Terrorists." And I remember it being so WEIRD, that the word came off my lips so easily - a word I'd probably never mumbled before. A word I'd rarely even heard. But my heart knew, just as the hearts of hundreds of thousands of Americans knew that bright September morning.
Darren's building, the tallest in Fort Worth at 40 stories, and situated near the Federal Building, evacuated. He came home. I was so thankful to have my family together, watching the footage, crying, unable to clear the lump from my throat. But we were all there, all safe. All scared. Where next? Were there more planes in the air?
And for days afterward... I couldn't tear myself away from the TV. I wanted information. I wanted resolution. I prayed that survivors would come out from under the rubble. I wept a lot... for the child I was carrying - Ian - and for my two other children... that they'd grow up in a new world where Terrorism was a real threat. We all lost a lot of innocence that day.
We took down our flags last week - the American one and the Texas one that fly on our two stoops all summer. Darren hadn't yet gotten around to putting them in storage, though I kept nagging him to do so. Last night, he took the American flag and put it back in its holder. "WHY?" I asked.
"Tomorrow's 9-11," he answered.
I'm ashamed that it hadn't occured to me.
How many of us woke up this morning, turned on the TV, and said, "Oh yah. This is 9-11."
There are those who think the footage shouldn't be shown every year... that we should move on without reliving it... that's it too hard, too unbearable... that it somehow glorifies the terrorists.
I disagree.
I think we NEED to see it. I don't think that showing the images in ANY way glorifies the terrorists. I think that one week every year isn't too much to have to bear. Without those images, we become callous. Not because we're uncaring people. We just become numb to the pain; we forget the loss. In this instant gratification world, where we move so fast we often don't take time to EXPERIENCE things, I'm glad that, for these few days each year, we're forced to slow down and really REMEMBER. So it makes us uncomfortable? Good. We SHOULD be uncomfortable.
God bless the families who were forever changed on 9-11.
God bless America.
4 comments:
I think every generation has the one defining moment that will haunt them for life. That moment when they are one with their fellow country members when they will remember exactly where they were. I remember my Grandparent's talking about Pearl Harbor, my parents talking about where they were when Kennedy got shot, I think, sadly, this is our generations moment. I remember I was helping at the school that day and had taken the day off. I was pulling into my sitter's when she ran out and told me to come watch tv. I felt miserable leaving Devlyn there that day, but I was at the school with the other 2 kids all day. I look back at Kale's shirt in his pictures, I had dressed him in a garage sale shirt as I didn't want him to get his nice one messy, with all that was clouding my brain after that morning I forgot and didn't change him. His garage sale shirt reminds me of that day every time I look at his pictures. Strange the things we remember about that day!
Your right, it is our moment in our lifetime, that we remember exactly where we were. Seeing the pictures on this one day out of the year (or week) is nothing compared to what the family members of each and every person lost that day deals with EVERY day. Ic an only imagine that Sept 11th to them replays over and over. GOD BLESS AMERICA.
KarenK
I agree that we should remember 9/11. This is my first year as a school teacher. We had an assembly, and I assumed that it was about 9/11 - it wasn't. It was about setting goals, being yourself, etc. Good presentation, but I couldn't help being disappointed. When we got back to class, my students were all surprised the assembly wasn't about 9/11. We went ahead and talked about 9/11, where we were, how it has impacted us. I'd brought newspapers and magazines I have kept from those days. This included a newspaper story of my husband's best friend who died in Iraq in 2003. I find the older I get, the more I am becoming part of history. I'm glad others feel the need to remember those lost, too. - Tara
Thanks Stacy,I needed that. It was everything I wanted to say, but was just too close to it all to express. Thanks from your g/f in NYC
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