Remember

I got up that morning and turned on the tv.  The scene quickly changed from daily laughs to concern.  A plane had crashed into the World's Trade Center.  How did that happen?  Was the pilot inexperienced?  Is everyone ok? I ran in and woke Ben up and told him what happened.  He fell back asleep assuming like most that this was some horrific accident.  My eyes were glued to the tv.  Watching the reporters try to make sense of what was happening.  Then while one reporter talked we could see it in the background. A second plane...  This was not an accident.  This was an ATTACK.  Stunned I went back in and told Ben.  He got up and we continued to watch in shock.  The next few days felt unreal.  Watching everything in disbelief.  We heard about the heroes and the fallen.  Out of the destruction came something I had never seen before.  Our country was no longer divided we were ONE.  It didn't matter which side you landed on politics.  It didn't matter if you were from New York or Iowa we were one.  You could see the difference in people's eyes.  We no longer had the illusion of being safe.  Yet we were connected.  We were sad.  We were angry.  I wept for the baby I was carrying and the uncertain world he was coming into.  It's hard to believe that was 14 years ago.  Images from that day flood my mind like it was yesterday. The second plane, the people running, the pentagon, the look on Bush's face in that classroom, the towers falling, that field in Pennsylvania, and so many many faces of those we lost.  While today we make time to honor those we lost and all the heroes, we remember them always.  As I try to explain every year the importance of this day to my children I remember this quote from Bush.  I want my children to know the strength of our country and while some evil people decided to sucker punch us they can't steal our resolve.


“Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. The victims were in airplanes or in their offices: secretaries, business men and women, military and federal workers, moms and dads, friends and neighbors. Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror. The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings, fires burning, huge -- huge structures collapsing have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness and a quiet, unyielding anger. These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed. Our country is strong. A great people has been moved to defend a great nation.”  – U.S. President George W. Bush.