story5240.xml

story5240.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

I went out to PA. to visit family and friends, I had only been in town a couple weeks. As a matter of fact the day of the attack I was planning on going to NewYork but I was sick with the flu. I was woken up by my step mother crying out "Oh my God, Oh my God. Of course I jumped out of bed to see what had happend. I thought she had fallen and couldn't get up. She is an elderly woman full of life and spunk. We watched together on T.V. the second tower was hit and we watched the building crash to the ground then the T.V.went blank. We decided to pray. Then the phone rang off the wall my family in Illinois called to make sure I was o.k. and safe, they knew I was planning on being in NewYork. A couple weeks later I went to ground Zeroe as close as I could get and it was the most horrible thing I had ever seen in my 42yrs. I took on a diferent perspective after that. I charish my family and appreciate them more than I had ever done before. I thanked God for my life and my families life. I got to meet some of the fire fighters out there who did survive the attack and I signed an memorial book at the fire department and my heart just hurt for all the families that lost a loved one and some lost more than that. It will be a day I will never forget,not what I was doing at the time or where I was at that moment of hell. I know God kept me where I was for a reason and for that I am greatful. When I got back to Illinios I told my family about what I saw and how horrible it was the rubble the smell it is embeded in me forever. Thankyou to all who gave there life for our Country. Tina M. Behrends, Lincoln,Ill.