nmah3849.xml

nmah3849.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

I first learned about the attacks while at work listening to National Public Radio early that day. Being 37 weeks pregnant and unbalanced, I managed to waddle to the opposite side of the suite just as a television was being brought out. What seemed like hours passed as we all watched in horror as the news of the planes that had crashed. As the morning crept on my unborn daughter started to acknowleged the stress of the day by threatening to appear. I managed to break away from the horrific sights and toddle back to my desk. I attempted to call my husband, mother and other members of my family. I felt an overwhelming need to contact with those closest to me.
Near my desk was the office of our Client who as of yet was unaware of the tragedy unfolding. I walked into his office and brought him into the circle that was forming around another television that had appeared. We all watched in horror as the first tower came down. A friend who was holding my hand collapsed against me and began to cry. "All those people" was all she could say. Stunned to my core, I could only stand there and feel the now insistent tightening of my large belly as the yet unborn Amelia Rose again protested what was going on.
The day was spent calming the fears of others and walking between widely seperated television sets. I madly and pointlessly, attempted to work and bring some normalcy to that day.
By 3pm, my contractions were fierce and frequent. I managed to find my boss to tell her that I needed to go home as I did not want to have a baby today of all days.
I got home in time to view some of the most horrific footage that was just coming in and stand in awe with my husband. Words were just useless tools that day. Ineffectual and pointless. No language has words that can describe what it is like to witness something like that. My heart broke for the world that day. I cried many days watching and listening to the unfolding horror.
Amelia Rose was born 2 weeks to the day after 9/11/01. Her father and I have saved newspapers and magazines from that time so that she can understand the strangeness that surrounded her birth.
Amelia Rose is the silver lining for me. She represents an open heart in a troubled world. The chance to heal our world by loving our children,teaching them tolerance and respect for human life.

9/11 has depended my resolve to raise my daughter and any other children I may have to fireclay defend others rights to live their lives with truth, honesty and oneness with their god.

Tolerance - It is my goal, to teach my daughter who was born exactly 2 weeks after the attacks about tolerance. It is my vow that on this day each year she and I will engage in activities that will better our understanding of other peoples, cultures and ways of living. The best gift that I can give to the future is a child conceived in liberty, born in the aftermath of tragedy, cognizant of the world and her place in it as a kind and generous person.

I did not buy or fly a flag after 9/11. Not because of some feelings I did or did not have about my country but rather more to acknowledge that my country was not the only one affected.