story7584.xml

story7584.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-16

I remember waking up that morning, and it was just like any other. I fed the kids their breakfast, then began to clean house. Sometime after 10AM, my husband called and asked if I had the TV on. I told him no, and he said to hurry and watch, because the World Trade Center towers were no longer standing. As I watched the towers crumble to the ground over and over again that day, I could only feel shock. It was like a dream, as if I would wake up at some point and this would have never happened. I am a member of the Houston Symphony Chorus, and I had a rehearsal to attend that night for the opening concert of the season that upcoming weekend. In honor of the day's events, "The Star-Spangled Banner" and Mozart's "Ave Verum Corpus" were added to the program. I must say that since September 11, 2001, I have never been able to sing our national anthem without tears coming to my eyes. When I returned home that night, I watched more coverage and my shock turned to horror as I saw images of people jumping from the towers and heard their screams. I began to realize that it wasn't just the towers that fell, or our nation's capital that was attacked. Thousands of people lost their lives that day, and so many more were left without husbands and wives, parents, and even children. I did not personally know anyone lost or affected by the attacks, but I have shed many tears and the memories of that day will always haunt me. As a mother, it saddens me to know that my two very young children will grow up in a world different from the world of my childhood. They will not have the same guarantee of safety and freedom I have always taken for granted. But in spite of everything, I believe this nation can stand tall and fight back against those who would take away what so many have given their lives for. This is still the greatest country on earth, and always will be.