Thursday, September 11, 2008

Remembering 911

So today on the way to bringing the girls to school I realized it's the 7th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. So I asked the girls if they had learned anything about that at school. They hadn't and Natalie was curious. So I told her a little on our drive to school about what happened that day. And the innocence of a child she couldn't understand why someone would do something like that. Gosh, I wonder why they don't talk about it in school. Although, I guess they are a bit young to grasp the whole concept.

I remember that day so clearly too. I was just a few months pregnant with Kaitlyn. We were living in Ansonia at the time. Joe was at work. Natalie was just 2. When I turned on the TV that morning it had already happened. So I was just watching in horror never expecting the towers to fall. For weeks and months that was all that was talked about. To hear the stories of the people it's just all so surreal.

I think this was the first big event in my life that's a part of history that I will be able to clearly tell people what I was doing on September 11th. I mean I remember when Challenger blew up. We actually had a snow day, but I was pretty young and I didn't get the gravity of the situation much like Natalie doesn't understand that there are people out there who can hate so deeply. I guess this is the moment in my life like my parents used to always talk about when the anniversary of JFK came around. Every year they used to tell us what they were doing that day. I couldn't understand how someone who they didn't even know personally could have such an impact on their lives that they could remember exactly what they were doing when they heard about JFK. Not until 9/11 happened.

I didn't know anyone who died, but my heart sank for all those families who lost loved ones. I was so relieved that it wasn't my husband in one of those towers. And at the same time I was scared of what would happen next. I was terrified to bring this new baby into the world not knowing what kind of world it would be for her. And exactly 7 months to the day Kaitlyn was born. My fears have subsided for the most part now. And I guess I do feel like Natalie in not understanding a person's hatred of people they don't even know. I don't really understand how anyone can go on a suicide mission like that either. I love my country, but I wouldn't purposely go out and kill myself for it. I am grateful to the men and women who do serve our country and put their lives on the line to protect us though. I hope that someday my children can live in a world where there isn't this kind of blind hate though.

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