Remembering

It was 9 years ago today. I woke up, got my newspaper, prepared some breakfast. I started reading my paper in preparation for my first class of the day. This was a news media class, and the professor would quiz us on the headlines of the day.

I turned on Good Morning America to help cover more bases at once. About 15 minutes into my viewing, they cut over to NYC, as there were reports of a small plane hitting one of the World Trade Centers. Smoke billowed from the tower, and I looked on in amazement. How could a plane hit such a tall skyscraper? And as I sat there, horrified, I watched as another plane entered the picture and hit the other tower. It was then that everyone watching realized that this was no accident. We were under attack. I watched throughout the day as efforts were made to save the people in the towers, as we discovered that the Pentagon had also been hit, and that a plane had crashed in Pennsylvania -- a plane that was later revealed to be heading toward the White House, but fell short because the passengers refused to allow the terrorists to fulfill their plan. I watched with friends as the towers fell to the ground, and we cried together, stunned and filled with sorrow.

I had never been to NYC before 9.11.01. But I found myself living there nearly 2 years later, just on the other side of the river. Duane and I visited the site of the WTC a few times while we lived there, and I could only imagine having been there for the events of that horrible day. On September 11, 2003, we saw the lights they projected upward in remembrance of where the towers used to stand tall, and I was filled with pride of my country.

Even when I looked for some pictures to post to this blog, some of the images brought me such sadness that I had to stop looking. We lost so many wonderful people because of a terrible hatred that exists in others. People who went to work like it was any other day; firefighters, police officers, and EMTs who devoted their lives to saving the lives of others; people who got on planes just trying to get home to loved ones. I remember today all of those people and I am grateful for those who are still here with us. I remember what happened on September 11, 2001, and I pray that this world can find peace so that this never happens to anyone again.