story9356.xml

story9356.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2003-06-28

I don't know why it took so long for me to write this.It is June 28, 2003.I think its the anxiety of having to fly since 9/11. I didn't really prpare myself to fly
again but next week on July 4th weeknd my whole family is flying to Houston, TX for a family reunion. To add to my anxiety thre was a terrorist threat for TX the same weekend we will be there. We will not allow the threat to keep us from our family. As scared as I am to fly ( and I am 35 years old) I will place it in Gods hands and hope for the best.

September 11, 2001 I was trying to get my son off to school. At the time he was 11 years old now 13 years old. My mom had stayed over that night because at the time she commutes for her job. I just got out of the shower nd se said someone had just a plane in the World Trade Center. I didn't have the sound of the TV turned up. It looked like a Bruce Willis movie. I turned up the sound and I heard alot of screaming . I sat there and watched as the 2nd plane hit the sout Tower. I stared to cry. No I don't know anyone from there but it was so hard to compute all of tis. Then I saw people jumping..jumping from the top. I felt so sick inside.

I took my son to school were I assured him he would be safe. He was also nervous about going to his after school program. I told him he will be safe and can call me at anytime. When I got to work I had a personal TV with me and I watched the Pentagon in flames then after that a plane goes down in PA. I called my mom and said is Frankie ( our cousin) ok ? He sometimes is at the Pentagon for business. She just had called his brother and there was no word if my cousin ws dead or alive. That was more than I could take. I dropped to my knees and cried. Oh Lord I cried. I left work and went to pick up my son.

Finally after 5 hours we were notified he is alive and in a bunker. I cried all over again because I was relieved but also I felt guilty. Other loved ones never had a chance. But I thank God for him sparing my cousin. I have the TV turned off so my son would't see this over nd over again. Next day I was scared to send my son to school. But I did anyway. I went to work. At 3:00 pm I got call from his after school program that I needed to come pick my son up because they just had a bomb theat called in. I couldn't talk after I was told that. I handed the phone to my manager and went and asked a friend if he can drive me over to get my son. He said yes.


I got in the truck and I literally lost it. I couldn't stop crying. Damn them to hell calling a after school program and threatening them with a bomb. I went to were they were holding kids and I jut grabbed him and held him for a long time. Then we went home. We did what we could for donations. My son even put his own $12 in for he 911 relief fund. He said they need it more than I do. My sons innocence was taken away a long time ago from a personal family situation but anything he had left was gone on 9/11.

So before I leave on the 3rd from AZ I willbe sending out emails to my loved ones. I am going to handwrite the one to my son. I am calling them the just in case something happens emails. I had read alot of painful stories from 9/11 and the ones who never got a chnace to say good bye to their loved one. So as hard as it will be and hopefully it will be for nothig I will write a I will love ou forever and don't forget the good times letters fr my friends and family. YOu know .. just in case....