Do You Remember?

Do you remember where you were 1o years ago today?  I do.

I was in my third year of college.  I had just gotten out of the shower and I heard my phone ringing.  I let it go to my machine.  It rang again and went to the machine and then rang again.  I was annoyed!  Leave a message I thought Jeez!  I finally answered it and it was my boyfriend almost shouting at me to turn on the TV.  “Turn on a news channel!”  It didn’t really matter what channel I turned the TV to, the pictures were all the same.  The burning twin towers.  When I finally caught my bearings and realized what was going on my heart just dropped as I listened to the news reporter say that one of the planes departed from Newark NJ.  My uncle was an avid traveller for his job and flew through that airport on a regular basis.

I called him.  No answer.  I called my Aunt.  No answer.  I left messages on both.

Next I called my dad at work.  I tried not to be a baby but I cried to him.  He worked in downtown St. Louis and I just wanted him to GET OUT OF THE CITY and go home!  You remember movies like Independence Day where they target all major cities.  Well St. Louis was major in my eyes and he was there and I wanted him out.  Not the most rational thought process I have had, but at the moment everything was irrational.  He reassured me he was safe and sound and I shouldn’t worry.  He called me “baby” like he always did and it did make me feel better.

I remember not being able to turn the TV off.  I remember thinking my professor was CRAZY for not cancelling our stupid lab glass that afternoon.  Luckily it was a nice break from the news.  The death tolls and horror stories just kept rising and so sitting through a horrible class while deriving theories using Mathcad (worst program ever) actually was better.

I got home from lab and my Aunt had called me back and told me that my uncle was safe.

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As I think back on that day now, it might hurt a little more now than then.  I am a mother now.  I am a wife now.  I feel so much more aware of the pain those families had to go through now that I have a family of my own.  The fear I have of something like that happening today is just unmeasurable.  Then it was just me.  Now it is my family.

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The National 9/11 50 states flag tour ends here in Joplin, MO today.  The final stitches will be completed using flags that survived the May 22nd Tornado.  If you care to read more about this tour you can click here, where I found a great article.

Again…this is very close to home today.  Remembering 9/11 and remembering the tornado.

Kiss your loved ones and squeeze them extra tight!  I am sure I will.

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Thank you to all who have died, served and are continuing to serve for our country.  Thank you to their families as well.  The wifes, husbands, sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers who have also given for this country through your pain of losing or missing a loved one while they protect us all.