Remember when??? I remember

Do you remember where you were on 9/11/01? I remember where I was. I was at my parents home in Bountiful, Utah. I was downstairs in my old "pink room" asleep. I had Tanner who was 4 at the time and Parker who was almost 2 there with me. Chris had gone home to St. Louis earlier in the week for meetings. I remember being asleep and my mom coming in and saying "The Twin Towers have been hit!" Me, being the not good morning person that I am, turned with eyes shut and probably very onry said, "What?! What are you talking about and what are the Twin Towers?" After I put some clothes on to come upstairs to see what she was talking about that was on CNN, I was able to see them replaying the plane hit the first tower. I was in shock and as I continued to watch (and wake up) I could not believe what I was seeing... the reporters showing a second plane heading for the second building. I COULD NOT BELIEVE MY EYES!!! I was in shock and immediately my mind started to go a hundred miles per hour thinking of so many thoughts.

The first thought was about the people who were in the building, on the plane, in the streets that they were showing running for the their lives, and they talked about the daycare on site. Wow, my heart broke. Then I came to my own reality...I'M SUPPOSE TO FLY HOME ALONE WITH MY 2 KIDS TODAY!!! So with the help of concerned parents I started to call the airlines and of course a huge wait to talk to them, but then the results... YOUR FLIGHT HAS BEEN CANCELLED TODAY, CALL BACK TOMORROW. I was actually relieved, but Chris wanted me home with him and he was not happy. We started to talk about if dad would drive me 1/2 the way home and meet up with Chris somewhere or let's wait and see what happens with the airlines. The other huge concern at the time was I was teaching preschool and was suppose to have started school on 9/11. I had gotten a sub for the first day of school, but what now? I called them at let them know I wasn't going to be there. The next day comes... YOUR FLIGHT IS CANCELLED. I was still okay with that, but again, Chris said, this could be days, come home. We gave it one more day and I was able to come home on the 14th. The security at the airport at that point was CRAZY... especially alone with 2 kids. We made it home and Chris was glad to see us, work was glad I was back, and I was grateful for what I had.

My heart aches for the people who lost their mom or dad, brother or sister, child or friend. For the moms (or dads) who instantly became widows. My heart aches for those who are living with the trauma that happened to them seeing and living this event first hand. For those who were able to escape the second building and are remembering everything about that day. My heart aches that it takes major events like this to bring a nation "under God" to come together to comfort others in times like this. Why does it take something like this to happen to have us come together? I will remember this day always and I'm grateful I was not more effected by this by having personal ties or a loved one dealing with this. I am grateful for being with my family, safe on this day in history. I still believe in "one nation under God."