story3364.xml
Title
story3364.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-09-11
911DA Story: Story
Since I work from home, I had gotten up as usual and turned on the computer and then the TV. It was 9:00 in the morning. Of course, the news of the first plane hitting the North Tower was on every channel and, since New York City is one of my favorite places, I was glued to the television. I then watched as the second plane hit and the enormity of what was happening filled me with the greatest fear I've ever known. I was, at the time, 9 months pregnant and my emotions were uncontrollable. I was unable to wrap my mind around what was happening. I frantically tried to reach my husband and when I finally reached him, he didn't believe what I was telling him...that our world had gone crazy and was literally falling apart. Then, as I described to him what I was seeing on the television, the first tower fell. I fell to the ground in disbelief and despair.
It's difficult to recall specifically what I did that day...I remember the feelings far better than the details. My initial fear and disbelief evolved into anger and the deepest grief for our country and the thousands of people who lost their lives while simply going about their daily business. I was also terrified for my unborn child...I didn't want to bring my child into a world in such chaos, a world where I could not protect him from evil. The intensity of emotion and grief is indescribable.
Twenty-three days later, I gave birth to my son, Roman Joseph. What great joy in such a terrible time! I felt it drew me even closer to those who lost fathers, mothers and children. Now as a mother, I feel more empathy than ever before in my life. My feelings and emotions are raw and true.
It is now September 11, 2002. A year has passed and a lifetime. The feelings I experienced one year ago are the same today as then. It is still hard to wrap my mind around this event. It is unbelievable yet brutally real. I believe in the strength of America. I know that we will survive but I don't think we will ever truly recover.
It's difficult to recall specifically what I did that day...I remember the feelings far better than the details. My initial fear and disbelief evolved into anger and the deepest grief for our country and the thousands of people who lost their lives while simply going about their daily business. I was also terrified for my unborn child...I didn't want to bring my child into a world in such chaos, a world where I could not protect him from evil. The intensity of emotion and grief is indescribable.
Twenty-three days later, I gave birth to my son, Roman Joseph. What great joy in such a terrible time! I felt it drew me even closer to those who lost fathers, mothers and children. Now as a mother, I feel more empathy than ever before in my life. My feelings and emotions are raw and true.
It is now September 11, 2002. A year has passed and a lifetime. The feelings I experienced one year ago are the same today as then. It is still hard to wrap my mind around this event. It is unbelievable yet brutally real. I believe in the strength of America. I know that we will survive but I don't think we will ever truly recover.
Collection
Citation
“story3364.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed December 9, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/16034.