Wednesday, September 11, 2013

We Shall Never Forget!

September 11th
A Day to Remember
To Heal
To Love
To Stand United



I remember as though it was yesterday.  I will never forget it for as long as I live.

Alexa was 5 and Riley was 3 and I was prepping them for kindergarten, pre-school and
putting Alexa's hair up for morning ballet class in front of the TV.
I remember the innocence of them as children...the innocence and sweetness of Mister Rogers playing on the TV.
They were watching Mister Rogers on PBS and they actually interrupted the kids show
to announce breaking news that could be upsetting to children.  So I decided to check it out while they
ran into the bathroom to brush their teeth.

So innocent they were...so innocent I was to events like this...so innocent the Country was that day.
And then...


I turned the channel and saw this.  Unbelievable but yet we thought it was just 
an "accident"...a plane flew into the World Trade Center.  Tragic yes but not alarming for most in
the US. Certainly upsetting but then you feel something.

We kept watching...because something about it wasn't right...something in my gut told me this wasn't just an accident..and you feel scared...deep down in the depths of your stomach something is telling you that this is NOT right.


Then a few minutes later I saw this happen.  A second plane.  You watch it hit the second tower.

Your mouth opens but no sound comes out, you stop breathing because you can't quite believe what is happening. You are watching the TERROR.  My stomach sank, my heart clenched and I sank to the floor.  The kids had no idea exactly what happened but they knew it was terrible and Riley started crying.
Why mommy? What's the matter mommy? Why are you sad mommy?

Then they say the words "terrorists" and "death" and "more" planes headed to DC.
My husband works in DC two blocks from the White House (now he works across street from White House ugh).
I remember frantically trying to call him on his cell, no cells were working that day, no contact with anyone.

Anyone? Where is everyone that you love? Your mind races..your heart stops.
You just try to breathe.

Our phone is ringing...his family calling to see where he is...my family calling to tell me my brother is overseas and not at work at the Pentagon that day.
Craziness...kids crying, my neighbors heading over to see how we were.
Everyone standing outside in disbelief.
TVs and radios blaring out of every window, car, house.
Its everywhere.


 Pentagon after being hit

Finally my husband got a call through and had been at a meeting in Maryland that morning...thank God...and he was headed home ASAP.  Gridlock in DC as news of a plane hitting the Pentagon and another on the way to the Capitol.  Total Panic in the United States and for those in NYC and Washington, DC.
 I can never ever explain the horror, terror and fright that we had that day...its unexplainable.

So I decide NORMALCY is the order of the day for the kids to get them away from it.
How did you get away from it that day...it was everywhere..on people's faces, on the radio, in the conversations.

FEAR and DISBELIEF and PAIN

Alexa had ballet so we went to ballet..ballet is across from a US base..there are 5 US tanks surrounding it and armed guards everywhere...frightening.  Of course my boy being a BOY loved that part and is mostly what he remembers about that day.
Needless to say ballet and school was cancelled on 9-11 and we headed home to glue ourselves to the TV and see and hug dad.


Then both towers collapsed the world stopped breathing...for a few seconds..no one moved, no one said anything, hands covered eyes and mouths...complete & utter silence.


Then the SIRENS and ALARMS and SCREAMS and sounds of DESPERATION
RED LIGHTS BLINKING IN A SEA OF WHITE...
across the TV, across the US, across the streets.
Sounds I hope to never hear again.  Feelings I hope to never have again.

And images that I can never erase from my memory, images I never want to see again.
Things that no one should witness let alone see over and over...but we wanted to see..
we needed to see...we need to understand WHY?

What was happening?  What do we tell our children? How do we sleep at night?
Have we ever really learned WHY?  Do we truly understand what happened?
No one truly knows..each perspective is different..each memory different..
yet we all prayed, we all cried and we all mourned.
WHAT DO WE DO was on everyone's mind in the United States of America that day.

The stillness and whiteness...NYC gone white with debris and horror.




I can't imagine the horror of being there in NYC that day.
The city I love so much devastated in such a way no one was sure if it would recover.

I live near Washington, DC...my relatives and friends work in the Pentagon...my husband works in the city.  There was a sense of fright and terror that day in DC...something that no one here will ever forget.
So many lives lost, hearts broken, futures taken away.

BROKEN...we were all a bit broken.

So many people died that day..so many gave their lives so others might have a chance.

So many people held their breaths and vowed to stand by their country.
To save...to protect...to honor.

Yet we stood together, we found a way to move forward, to honor
to remember and to find a way to go on with our lives and futures.
Our country tried to heal as our own minds and hearts healed along with it.

The 9-11 Memorials in NYC

Shanksville, PA Memorial..stillness in a field..where those that died trying to save
a country can be remembered forever.

the Pentagon Memorial...a bench for each person that died..lit up like angel wings


But we won't forget.
We will NEVER forget.

It is ingrained in everyone's mind that experienced this..no matter where you lived...how old you were...what race you are...what religion you practice.  

We experienced it...we felt it...we grieved...we cried...we screamed...we fell to the ground in despair...
but most of all....

WE REMEMBER



{all pictures credited to google.com}




13 comments:

  1. I really feel what you have written Suzanne, your own words are powerful. Even though I'm MILES away in Scotland, I too remember as though it were yesterday. My colleague told me her friend had called and said a plane had crashed into the World Trade Centre, I told her he was having her on and not to be daft. Then my friend called and told me the same thing. The internet crashed so it was difficult to get updates. We all stood in my office with our phones on speaker (my friend put his TV on to sky news so we could hear) and we stood in disbelief and shock. One of my colleagues' friend from New York actually managed to get a call out that day - but the only place she could get through to was here! It was so upsetting hearing her crying and upset, but we could do nothing to help. We went home early that day and just watched the news, it was like watching a film that had come to life. Children's channels here were also interrupted to stream the live news.

    Everyone will remember that day. I still feel disbelief when I think of it now or see the New York Skyline on the TV.

    We all remember.

    Lyns xx

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  2. Perfectly stated, and so painfully remembered with your photos. May we never have to endure a tragedy of this scale again.

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  3. A great remembrance. It was a scary, very sad day, week, month, year that goes on forever.

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  4. I too remember! I was pregnant with my second daughter and I remember just sobbing till I threw ! I kept rubbing my belly over and over and saying, "I am so sorry, I am so sorry, I am so sorry for bringing you into a world full of hate." I too was very innocent of the way other parts of the world actually hated us and wanted us dead...I grew up in a home full of love and "hate" was a bad word. I still fear for my children's future. Thank you for your clearly stated memories and I too will NEVER forget.
    Valerie

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  5. I cried as I read this! It is still hard to believe that terrorists were able to devastate our beloved country in this manner. I love my country and this still hurts badly. Thank you for the pictures and the story. I never ever want to forget that I live in the best country in the world and I never want to take our freedom for granted!

    Hugs

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  6. I was on my way to work and..as usual...listening to an American radio show. I remember hearing the words coming over the airwaves and I started crying. I cried all the way to work and I spent the day glued to the radio and the internet crying in disbelief. When I got home I turned on the TV to see the actual images.

    I was very proud to be a Canadian that day and a friend and neighbour to the USA when they closed all airports. We all stood up and took stranded passenger after passenger into our homes.

    The terrorists murdered a lot of people...they struck terror into our minds and our hearts that day. However, they did not succeed at what they wanted. They did not break our spirit. All they did was to bring us closer and unite us in determination.

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  7. I was working the night shift and slept really really late. I got up and Mom told me that the U.S. was in a major crisis!! I'm in Canada and we just kept watching the news to see what was happening. ALL day long! And all week! I won't go into thoughts and feelings as like you said everyone has a story to tell. It was scary up here also. I often think that although the numbers of people that lost their lives or families that lost others could be the worst experience to live through and we can't let the stupid terrorists win. We will win!!! In some ways though we have to admit that they won "something". Traveling will never be the same with security changes and all the crap that they check for now. I would also estimate that thousands of people are employed in terrorist control and studies, just trying to figure out what their next attempt will be. They will never have a complete win as we are stronger!!

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  8. I was working the night shift and slept really really late. I got up and Mom told me that the U.S. was in a major crisis!! I'm in Canada and we just kept watching the news to see what was happening. ALL day long! And all week! I won't go into thoughts and feelings as like you said everyone has a story to tell. It was scary up here also. I often think that although the numbers of people that lost their lives or families that lost others could be the worst experience to live through and we can't let the stupid terrorists win. We will win!!! In some ways though we have to admit that they won "something". Traveling will never be the same with security changes and all the crap that they check for now. I would also estimate that thousands of people are employed in terrorist control and studies, just trying to figure out what their next attempt will be. They will never have a complete win as we are stronger!!

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  9. Beautifully written, you took me right back to where and what I was doing that day. You brought tears to my eyes and I felt the heartache all over again. We will never forget.
    Debbie

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  10. Beautifully written, you took me right back to where and what I was doing and the feelings I felt as I too watched it all unfold on tv, debating at the first moment I saw what was happening to go and get my two girls from middle school. Everytime I see photos from that day it brings the heartache I felt right back and the tears come back too.
    We will never forget 🇺🇸

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  11. A beautiful remembrance, and so beautifully stated......

    We will never forget.

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  12. I'm all goosebumpy reading and looking at you pictures

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I appreciate all your lovely comments and taking the time to stop by! hugz,Suzanne

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