story7048.xml

story7048.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-13

I was home with my husband and daughter, getting her ready for Kindergarten. My sister called and said put on the local cable news station, that one of the towers had an explosion. It was so new, that no one knew it was a plane yet. I can still feel how I felt about those dead already and those on the upper floors. Then people started calling in, saying it was a plane. But nothing was confirmed yet. As we watched the TV, we saw the 2nd plane hit the second tower. We knew there was something terribly wrong. Never in the history of NY, had even 1 plane ever hit a building in the city. My husband wanted to keep our daughter home, but I wanted to keep things semi normal even though this event would change NY and America forever. As we continued to watch the TV stations, we also listened to our police scanner. Once my husband heard a call dispatched to a patrol car, that a school was contacted by phone, that the children should not be out a lunch time today, the decision was made. If we were under attack, our child would be with us. We pulled her out of school as so many other parents did the same.
We found out my husband's cousin was safe that day. He was off from work. Twice he has escaped from terrorism in the World Trade Center, since he was there for the garage bombing, as well. His fellow workers did not make it then.
In the days that passed, I could not keep my daughter away from the news. At night I would change the TV station to one of her channels and the next day, I would hear the news. I told her, "Just watch your station, Honey." And she would reply,"I want to watch the Twin Towers, Mommy." Eventually, it caught up with her and she wouldn't go to bed by herself. I finally told her that all the bad people were caught and she said, "Even the ones under the sand?" We had never spoken about Bin Laden or the deserts. She learned this from the TV. I told her, "even the ones under the sand." She has gotten better, but she is still not 100%. For the 1 year anniversary, I kept the TV off. I knew the school would touch on it slightly and I would speak with her afterwards. She was okay that day. But she has decided on her own to make a book as a tribute to that fateful day. I have saved her drawing from last year of the Towers burning and will keep all these things together.
Life is truly not the same since these attacks, but I believe the worst thing we could do, is stay at home and be afraid. Watching the TV, that day, was like watching a scene from a movie, with all the smoke surrounding the city. But we will not give the terrorists completely what they want. We cherish our freedom. Not a day goes by that I don't think of that horrible day. I thank God that no one I knew personally perished, but I do have friends who did have someone perish. I continue to go to the baseball games and basketball games. And when I sit in Madison Square Garden or ride the trains and subways, I do often wonder if we'll be under attack again. But life goes on, and for the sake of those innocent people who perished that day, I need to live for them.

God Bless America!!!