September 11

This is mine.  As small as it is, it’s mine.

Like everyone, I will never forget the morning of September 11.  

I was at home getting ready for work, and for some reason I had the news on.  I never have the news on.

I saw the second plane hit the WTC.

The world was glued to the TV in shock.  Shock.

I had a presentation that day with a client, and at the breaks everyone was huddled around the TV.

No one could comprehend what was going on.  

Nothing like this had happened to our generation.

What was going on?

Photograph by Spencer Platt, Getty Images, Via National Geographic

At that time, we lived not far from the airport, and you could hear the skies.
They were so silent, it was deafening.
Never had flights been grounded before.  But you could see all the planes lined up along the runways by the freeway. Incredible to see.

I, like a lot of people, really thought that the world could be coming to an end.  I mean we had never seen anything like this happen before.  My family made a back up plan.  We had a meeting place in case…  In case of what?  We weren’t sure, but we had a plan…

I remember we were trying to have a baby, and I remember thinking, how could we do this now?  How could I bring a baby into the unknown?

So many thoughts.  Jumbled.  Scared.

A few years ago, my husband and I went to New York City.  I had always felt compelled to go to Ground Zero.  I had to see.  I had to feel it there.  I needed to connect to this event.  We visited the memorials, we left our letter at the WTC tribute.

I can’t comprehend that 10 years have passed.  It’s still so vivid and raw.

God bless the lives lost.  May we never never forget.  I will NEVER forget.  Ever.