No projects today, no warm and fuzzy ramblings. Just some thoughts and reflections about 9/11.
I'm not one to remember the details of past events. In fact, I probably couldn't tell you what I had for breakfast yesterday, or the name of the last person I spoke with on the phone. But I can recall everything about September 11, 2001. Even what pajamas I had on that morning (white with blue sheep).
I remember being woken up by the phone ringing around 6am. Chris (my husband) answered it, and then bolted up in bed. It was a call from the fire department, ordering him in because our country was "under attack". He told me to turn on the television, and we saw the WTC on fire. Soon after that, we watched as the second plane hit the second tower. He immediately left for work, and I sat there on the bed all day, glued to the television. I felt helpless as I watched the towers burning, people jumping to their deaths, and reports of those not able to evacuate. Then I watched in horror as the towers fell, the Pentagon was hit, and flight 93 went down in Pennsylvania. I felt like I in a nightmare that I couldn't wake up from. I was terrified for all those people, heartbroken for those that were searching for their loved ones, worried about my own family, and for my husband. I remember gathering up emergency supplies, just in case. It was a day I'll never forget.
In the end, 2974 people lost their lives as a result of the attacks, including 343 FDNY firefighters who gave their lives to save others. Another 24 people are missing and presumed dead.
Chris attended the public memorial for all the fallen firefighters and spent several days visiting FDNY stations, including those that lost their entire crews. He came back a changed person. I visited Ground Zero less than a year after the attacks. I had seen it a thousand times on television, but it was an entirely different experience to see firsthand the destruction of that day. There are no words to describe the emotions I felt that day.
We promised we would never forget. I never will.