story2527.xml
Title
story2527.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-09-11
911DA Story: Story
Two days are very vivid in my memory.
September 10th was a perfect day for me. I had time to work out, dinner was ready when my husband and I got home because I had time to actually put something in the crock pot before I left, which was unusual. My husband, me and the kids all sat down for dinner together without incident (our kids were 1 and 4 at the time.) The kids got their baths, we read stories together, said prayers and the kids were in bed by 9 p.m., again extremely unusual.
My husband and I sat on the couch that night and commented how perfect the day had been and why had God so blessed us with such a special night. We even joked, "Tomorrow is going to suck!" thinking having such a good that day, we would certainly pay for it the next. My husband and I had time that night to read our Bible devotions, again unusual because we usually are exhausted by the time the kids hit the sack.
The next morning, 9/11/01, I had a 7:30 a.m. meeting at the YMCA. On my way in I heard the news report that a spy plane had been shot down over Iraq. I thought, "There gonna pay for that one." The meeting was over by 8:30 a.m. I went to my office. A few minutes later, our sports director came in and said someone flew a plane into the WTC. I thought, of course, that had to be an accident. Then he came in said another plane just hit the other tower. I immediately jumped up and ran to the lounge where the TV was playing the news of these horrible events. I called my mom who was watching my kids, they were fine. I called my husband; he was fine.
We held a quick prayer service at the Y. Members, staff and friends were coming in crying. They new someone in the towers, they knew someone in the Pentagon. We consoled as best we could.
Then the news came that a plane went down in Shanksville, PA. I lost it! My father's family is from Somerset County, near Shanksville. It got really close to home. Shanksville is about 3 hours from Hanover and Washington is about 1 hour and New York about 2 1/2. But Shanksville was to close to my literal home for me to keep composed.
After praying for strength, I called my Mom again, who upon hearing about the Shanksville plane, immediately called family in Somerset County. Amazingly, she actually got through on the phone lines. All of our family was fine.
The rest of the day I was numb. For the next couple of days I was numb. I am still numb one year later.
I can only pray that my children and their generation can live in a world of peace. The only way to peace is through the Prince of Peace. He alone will bring this peace we so longingly talk about. Not through terror, fear or force, but through justice, righteousness and love. I also pray that my kids do not ever forget the evil, savage and cowardly actions that were perpetrated on 9/11/01. That evil of that day was an example of what eternity without Christ will be like in Hell. Image an eternity of 9/11's. Not the heroism; not the unity; not the kindness in the aftermath. All of those things exist because of Christ's presence in the hearts of people. But the pure evil to conspire to kill in such a senseless and savage way is the evil that will be experienced in a "world" without God; namely, Hell.
God has blessed America. Let us never forget to acknowledge that ... and Him.
September 10th was a perfect day for me. I had time to work out, dinner was ready when my husband and I got home because I had time to actually put something in the crock pot before I left, which was unusual. My husband, me and the kids all sat down for dinner together without incident (our kids were 1 and 4 at the time.) The kids got their baths, we read stories together, said prayers and the kids were in bed by 9 p.m., again extremely unusual.
My husband and I sat on the couch that night and commented how perfect the day had been and why had God so blessed us with such a special night. We even joked, "Tomorrow is going to suck!" thinking having such a good that day, we would certainly pay for it the next. My husband and I had time that night to read our Bible devotions, again unusual because we usually are exhausted by the time the kids hit the sack.
The next morning, 9/11/01, I had a 7:30 a.m. meeting at the YMCA. On my way in I heard the news report that a spy plane had been shot down over Iraq. I thought, "There gonna pay for that one." The meeting was over by 8:30 a.m. I went to my office. A few minutes later, our sports director came in and said someone flew a plane into the WTC. I thought, of course, that had to be an accident. Then he came in said another plane just hit the other tower. I immediately jumped up and ran to the lounge where the TV was playing the news of these horrible events. I called my mom who was watching my kids, they were fine. I called my husband; he was fine.
We held a quick prayer service at the Y. Members, staff and friends were coming in crying. They new someone in the towers, they knew someone in the Pentagon. We consoled as best we could.
Then the news came that a plane went down in Shanksville, PA. I lost it! My father's family is from Somerset County, near Shanksville. It got really close to home. Shanksville is about 3 hours from Hanover and Washington is about 1 hour and New York about 2 1/2. But Shanksville was to close to my literal home for me to keep composed.
After praying for strength, I called my Mom again, who upon hearing about the Shanksville plane, immediately called family in Somerset County. Amazingly, she actually got through on the phone lines. All of our family was fine.
The rest of the day I was numb. For the next couple of days I was numb. I am still numb one year later.
I can only pray that my children and their generation can live in a world of peace. The only way to peace is through the Prince of Peace. He alone will bring this peace we so longingly talk about. Not through terror, fear or force, but through justice, righteousness and love. I also pray that my kids do not ever forget the evil, savage and cowardly actions that were perpetrated on 9/11/01. That evil of that day was an example of what eternity without Christ will be like in Hell. Image an eternity of 9/11's. Not the heroism; not the unity; not the kindness in the aftermath. All of those things exist because of Christ's presence in the hearts of people. But the pure evil to conspire to kill in such a senseless and savage way is the evil that will be experienced in a "world" without God; namely, Hell.
God has blessed America. Let us never forget to acknowledge that ... and Him.
Collection
Citation
“story2527.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed December 28, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/17248.