story3577.xml

story3577.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

I had woken up that Tuesday morning at 7:30 to the radio like I usually do, so I can get ready & to get my son ready for school. It was the second week of school, so we were just starting to get settled in to a new schedule. At least that was the plan to get ready, as I was waking up to the radio all I can remember was hearing that a plane had gone into the World Trade Center. My feeling at that moment was disbelief. I had to wake up & sit there to make sure what I was hearing. Then I turned on the Today Show & right there on the screen the World Trade Center was hurt & hurt bad. Then to hear that we were being attack it was really beyond my comprehension. In my 30 years of life I have not had to emotionally deal with someone or something attacking our freedom. As I was watching all of this unfold in front of me my children had woken up. What do I tell my boy?s (6&3 at the time) how do we explain to them what has just happened? That was a big question in my mind to make them understand that we were safe, even though my feelings of being safe had been compromised. We tried to get ready for the day, listening to local reports that school was going on as scheduled. I knew my son had to go to school, he needed the same routine, and he need to know that everything is ok & school is where he needs to be.
I got home from taking my son to school to find out that all aircraft have been diverted & grounded tell further notice. This had affected us in a big way because my husband works for an airline in which he had only been working there for 3 months. I tried really hard not to be angry. We had already gone through hard times & we had just moved to Vegas to get a new start. I had to ask myself why is this happening? What gave them the right?
Now that it has been a year after the attacks I have pondered those questions watching story after story of the many people who have lost their lives & listening to all the lives that have changed forever. I have come to realize that things happen for a reason, even though we might not understand what the reason is.
My Family & I have changed, we do miss the freedom we had before 9/11. It makes us more grateful for the freedom we do have & blessed for each day of that freedom. Our prayers & thoughts go out to everyone who lost a loved one & to every one of us who where affected by it.