9/11

I was sick on September 11, 2001 with a kidney infection.  My Mom was very helpful and took Brett to first grade and Cal to preschool for me and watched Meg for the morning.  Thus, I was not awake when the attack on the twin towers occurred.  My Dad called me at 12:30 that day to let me know what was going on.  I was running a fever of 104, so I was slightly out of it when I answered.  It took awhile for me to process the information he was giving me, but once I did, I immediately turned the television on.  Obviously, every station was showing footage of the morning events and giving out information.  I was in shock.  It didn't seem real to me.

By the afternoon I was in the doctor's office receiving an antibiotic injection.  Therefore it was early evening before I could really grasp the reality of the events of the day.  What I remember most is the amount of emergency personnel that were running to the twin towers to help in the search and rescue efforts.  How devastating it was to find out later that there were not going to be a lot of survivors.  So many people searching for loved ones were going home with the horrible reality that they were not going to be reunited that day or any other.

Today I took time in each of my classes to talk about the attacks of 9/11 - why they happened and the after effects.  The students in our building that were alive that day were all toddlers or younger when it happened.  The majority had not been born.  They cannot fathom why someone would kill so many people.  The other image that seems to stick in all of their minds is that of people jumping from the burning buildings - realizing that they were not going to live, but wanting to take control in some matter.  It brings out some great discussion in our class and many questions are asked and answered.  Although I can never tell them why or promise them that it will never happen again, they do seem to understand that day changed the history of our country and made everyone a little more cautious.

As I reflect on the day 13 years ago, I am actually glad that I was sick.  I am not sure that I could have processed all that was going on and happy that I found out after the fact.  This Patriots Day I will pause to pray for the lives that were forever changed and hope that we never have to face a tragedy as vast as this again.