Ten Years Later

Yesterday was the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks now known as "9/11" on our country. Like everyone else, I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing. (Prior to this event the main "where were you" event I had experienced was the Challenger shuttle explosion when I was in the 5th grade. I will never forget that one either. For some reason we were out of school that day and I remember watching it on T.V. with my mom). On 9-11-01, I was teaching school at what was then Stringer Street Elementary, now Jerry Lee Faine Elementary. Steve and I had been married a little over a year. I stopped a teacher in the hall to ask her a question about a student that we shared. I was babbling on and on and she looked at me with a blank stare and finally said, "Have you not heard? Do you not know what just happened?" I had no idea. I hurried down to the lunchroom where our princial, Mr. Faine, had the news on and people had gathered to watch the details unfold.

We were on lockdown mainly, I think, because of the near military base and nuclear plant. I remember calling Steve at work and just being terrified. I don't remember at what point during the day our school system administration determined we were "safe." I remember being grateful that my parents, brothers, and sister were home safely and not standing on top of the twin towers where they had been just weeks earlier in August on a vacation trip. And I will always remember the shock, tears, and devastation shared by our country in the days,weeks, months that followed.

I watched several pieces on television and the internet over the weekend. One in particular showed images from the day and a young girl's voice talking to her daddy who had died in the attack first as a Kindergartner, than a 5th grader, then a 10th grader. Telling him all about what she was doing, what she had learned, what she loved, what was hard, and crying over how much she missed him. It absolutely broke my heart as I thought of the people who lost family members and friends and all the things they missed sharing together. My mom sent me this link put together by American Family Radio.

We have a "verse-a-day" scripture calendar that we keep in our kitchen. It was a wedding gift to Steve and me 11 years ago and the original copy was printed in 1973, long long before anyone could've fathomed the events of September 11th. However each year as I turn the page to September 11, this is the verse that is printed there, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

I never want to forget and want my children always to realize the sacrifices made my so many then and now to protect our freedom. May God always bless America.