September is a little over a week old and as a country we are remembering the events of this day 20yrs ago. Time has not taken away the memories of what I watched on TV that beautiful Tuesday morning, 9/11/2001, or the fear and sadness I felt. Although we had no members of our families in any of the places that were terrorized that day, I felt as if all those people were my family. I felt shell shocked at the devastation and watched endless news reports as they searched for victims and I listened to the stories of the survivors. I've done that almost every year since and especially today when so many memorials were being held and televised. I know that in September, 2001, just as we had moved to Whispering Pines and were looking forward to making new memories here, the rest of that year seemed tainted somehow. Much of the joy of my favorite season had dimmed. We went on that year and celebrated holidays with family and friends as usual but always in the back of my mind it felt a bit hollow. However, I was heartened by the way our country pulled together. How prayer and God became more important. How political divisions didn't matter. We as Americans were fighting back. We honored the people who died that day. We revered the police, firefighters, medical personnel, and others who risked and lost their lives saving others. We've built monuments, made what was devastation into holy ground. Today was one of remembering as the events of that day were shown on TV. Survivors, family members of those lost and the nation again shared tears, prayers and togetherness, I wish that feeling of being one as a country could last. Even as we are divided by our feelings about the pandemic, political leaders, police and other issues, this is still the best country in the world. I will stand by and love America even with all it's imperfections. Every one of us can make a difference by being kinder, more patient with each other. Everyone is trying to figure out life in their own way and everyone has troubles we don't know about. So today I again remember and again will say: "God Bless America"...and I will pray that He will continue to do so. Amen
7 comments:
Hi, YaYa!
This was indeed a very emotional day, dear friend, and you composed a wonderful piece reflecting upon the events of that terrible day twenty years ago. Like you, I watched several hours of the live coverage this morning. With every toll of the bell marking the exact moment of a plane's impact or a tower's collapse, and with every victim's name uttered, I felt an ache in my heart, had a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. The twenty years melted away and I experienced all over again the terror, confusion and apprehension that I did on 9-11-2001. I'm sorry that your first year at The Pines was tarnished, overshadowed by an event beyond the scope of our collective imagination. Like you, I remember how proud I was in the wake of 9-11 that Americans set aside their differences and reached out to help their neighbors. The speeches today by former President Bush and others all lamented the fact that unity is a scarce commodity in today's America. I hope that anyone who might have missed Mr. Bush's remarks this morning at that field in Shanksville, PA, will find his "The America I Know" address and take his sentiments to heart. We can be better than this. Let us all remember the principles of democracy that the first responders who died that day and in the years since were selflessly defending. They are the same principles for which our men and women in uniform in the armed forces fought and died in the wars that followed 9-11 and in the wars that came before it. We are not red states and blue states. We are The United States of America. If we are to survive as a people, we must stop the hate, stamp out extremism, and root out homegrown terror organizations along with the self-serving political leaders who support them. For in America today, domestic terror groups, not foreign ones, pose the greatest threat to our country's future.
I hope you are feeling well and that your PT is going as planned. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, dear friend YaYa!
Hello Yaya, Amen to everything in your post. I remember that day 20 years ago. I had just started teaching two weeks before and I remember entering the office of the school on September 11, 2001, ready to begin my day, when I was met by our principal with the horrible news. My husband and oldest daughter were in other states and I was in Arizona with the three youngest. It was such a frightening and heart-wrenching day as we watched in horror as events unfolded. I remember that everyone wanted to fly the flag and the stores were sold out when I went to buy one. Everyone was united in love for and a desire to protect this great nation. I love the United States of America and pray for our country and leaders. The past twenty years have been hard in many ways, and now it seems that we stand at another crossroads, and we are, unfortunately, not a united, but divided nation. I pray that God will bless this great nation, that we will yet fulfill our destiny as a "City on a Hill" shining light to a world in darkness. Thanks for this post.
Very well expressed. And YES I too feel as if those suffering were part of my larger national family. IT HURT!
Thanks,
Sherry & jack
Amen and well said too my friend. Somehow I hope we can become a great country again where everyone respects everyone. We truly do need God to help us out. Janice
As a Canadian neighbour, I too watched in disbelief the horrors of that fateful day and felt sadness in the pit of my stomach for all the lives lost, the broken hearts, the broken dreams and the devastation. I felt shaken to the core by the unthinkable things that happened to innocent people on that day. It wasn't a movie, it was a sad reality of evil in motion.
We used to go to the US several times a year and never gave it a second thought as we didn't need a passport. We felt like good neighbours and the feeling was mutual on both sides. We are still good neighbours, and have friends in the US but travelling over the border has become a bit more complicated, as a result, we haven't travelled to the US since that fateful day. Everyone hurts.
Hugs, Julia
So very true everything you said. I'm not sure there are many of us who do not remember exactly where we were or what we were doing on that day. I can't remember what I wore yesterday, but I remember I had just dropped my son off at school and was on my way to work when it came on the news on the radio. I wanted to turn around, collect my son, and go home...somewhere safe....if even it would be safe there. But I was a government employee in a supervisory position and had to "report for duty." What a wretched day. And yet, something good came of it in the way we came together as Americans. I fear the path we are now on and pray continually that it does not take another "9/11" ...or worse... to unite us again. ~Robin~
I remember I was in my classroom with my second graders. So glad the TV wasn't on for anything. A teacher down the hall came and told us other teachers about it. It was awful wanting to see what was happening every minute and yet trying to keep it from the kids! Sure do wish our country could be as united today as we were in those days.
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