story2562.xml

story2562.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

I had just shut off the morning news approximately 8:45 AM to begin work. The phone rang - it was my mother, telling me to turn the news back on they had heard some reports that there was an explosion at the world trade towers in New York. I immediately put the news back on television and witnessed the second plane enter the second tower. I began to cry and felt so much pain as if I was losing something myself. When the report of the Pentagon was hit as well, I felt as though our country was truly under attack. I prayed for the passengers, pilots, emergency service workers and families. When news of the fourth plane in PA was announced. I thanked the passengers for giving their lives in order to save others and prayed for the pilots (not knowing what they had to endure). I continued to watch the television with my husband, who also began to tear up with a sense of loss. We went to our childrens' school and took both of our children out of class and brought them home. We explained to them that we needed to have them home and that we loved them (ages 6 & 8 at the time) and due to the events of that morning we felt it best that we all stay home together (also having a 4 year old daughter already home with us).

While all of this was taking place I had received several phone calls on my company's 800 line- it was the wife of one of our salesmen who was in Newark and was supposed to have boarded a plane at 8:30 AM that morning. She was frantic trying to find out what flight number her husband had. It wasn't until hours later that we found he was safe and in the Newark airport awaiting instructions on how to get back to Scranton, PA. He was unable to contact us by cell phone due to the number of cell phones that were in use by all in and around ground zero. The fear, pain and sorrow of that day can never fully be described by mere words. It is pain and sorrow as I have never known before. My heart goes out to all of those who perished in both towers, the Pentagon and flight 93 in PA. My heart goes out to the family and friends of those who perished, to the children who were orphaned and spouses who were widowed. I hope and pray that no one ever has to experience this magnitude of sorrow.