story6929.xml

story6929.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-12

I remember being in the shower that morning and the phone ringing off the hook. I couldn't think of why so many calls were comming in so early in the morning. I hurried to get out and the next call was from my husband telling me that terrorists were attacking the U.S. and to turn on CNN. I don't think I have ever gotten dressed so fast in my life. I remember my heart was pounding so hard that I couldn't even hear my children talking to me. I don't think that I have ever experienced such intense fear in my life. I know that my children were terrified by the way I was acting, they were only 4 and 1 at the time and had no idea what was going on except that mommy was scared to death. I remember turning on the tv and every station had the same picture of the 1st tower in flames. Not a minute after I turned it on I saw the 2nd plane hit and I remember grabbing my kids and falling to the ground in tears. I know they were scared to death but I could think of nothing except holding my kids as close as possible, I guess in a vain attempt to protect them. My 4 year old son Jakob asked me why I was crying and I told him that some very bad men had done some scary things to our nation but that we were going to be ok. I was praying so hard that this would be true. It was very hard to answer all of his questions, especially while trying not to scare either of my children. I sat in my living room floor for an untold amount of time just holding my kids, crying and praying, the images so horrible, yet I wasn't able to tear my eyes away. I didn't want my children to see such horrible images, yet I couldn't let them out of my site, or take my hands off them. It seemed like our world was comming to an end and I was powerless to protect my babies. I thank God that Jakob and Annalise are young enough that they don't truly understand what happened that day and are not experiencing the fear that most of us live with everyday now.
We had a very close family friend that is in the army and has been in Afghanistan in the 101st for several months and my baby Jakob prayed every night that God would help Jesse put the bad guys in jail who are trying to hurt our country. It's a prayer I know, that every mother hoped to never have to hear, yet I know that it is common place now.
About 10 o'clock that morning my mother called and wanted me to meet her at the gas station to fill up on gas, she was scared that our economy was going to freeze and gas prices would shoot through the roof, she wasn't the only one for about the time we got through pumping the lines started forming everywhere. From the gas station we went straight to Wal-Mart to stock up on some neccessaties. It was the eariest feeling I have ever had to walk into a Wal-Mart that is totally silent. Everyone in the store was gathered around the televisions that hang from the ceiling in the front of the store. The only sound was muffled crying and gasps of horror and disbelief. I raced through the store grabbing ravioli and peanut butter and as I left people started pouring in. I thought it's just a matter of time before this place is a madhouse.
My best friend Christin and my mother joined me at home and we spent the rest of the day on the couch watching CNN, crying and fielding phone calls. I was so upset at my husband for not leaving work and comming home to be with us, but I realize now that our world did not stop, jobs still had to be done and people still had to go on even though we wanted to do anything but. It seemed like all we did for weeks was sit around in disbelief watching the news. I know that for the rest of my life I will remember that day as if it were yesterday, and as horrible as it was I pray that everyone else will too. For it is when these things begin to fade from our memory that the most important things like family, faith, freedom & liberty are taken for granted.