Thursday, September 11, 2008

Remembering....

I'm shocked at how I remembered yesterday and yet this morning in all the rush to get ready for work and leave on time, I forgot.

And now I sit here and feel the heaviness of the events that happened seven years ago. Our lives will never be the same. Sure, for many of us, we go about things each day much the same as perhaps we did before 9/11. But for many others, we wake each day to loss and pain of the senselessness of it all.

I remember, like most everyone, where I was seven years ago. I worked at Wharton High School. It was a normal hectic high school morning like every other morning when you work with 9th - 12th graders.

My phone rang and my ex was crying. He asked me if I knew. I thought omg, his mom has passed away. She'd been very sick. But no, as horrible as that would have been, actually was when she did, this was way worse.

The next sound was my Principal screaming No. He quickly called us together. We needed a plan to allow parents to sign out or pick up their children. Yes, at that moment the kids who believe they're grown, where once again children to everyone, including themselves.

Just when we thought it couldn't get any worse the second plane struck and third plane went down, missing its target, but killing those brave people on board. Tears ran down our faces for people we didn't know and fear filled us as we each tried in vain to reach our own loved ones and friends who might be traveling by air.

Quiet descended on a normally loud group of 2300 students as our Principal spoke to them over the intercom. Anger from students who had no idea how to deal with this. After all they were American and this was the land of the free and the brave. This couldn't happen on our land. But it did.

Now seven years later, we no longer fly with the same ease, we no longer feel like it can never happen to us.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all who lost loved ones and friends and to the those of us who did not lose an actual person, but lost a part of our own freedom. The words We Will Never Forget rings on.

Maybe you're like me, and this morning you didn't watch the news and it slipped your mind for a few hours, but in all honesty, We will Never Forget.

Thank you is not an adequate word to give those who serve our country, our home, and other countries to keep us safe. You're love of this country and the people who most you will never meet is amazing and I for one am humbled by you.

Thank you and God Bless America today and forever.

1 comment:

Karen Lingefelt said...

Vicki, you've written words straight from the heart. What a touching memoir of a day that changed all of us forever!