nmah4411.xml

nmah4411.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-12

On that fateful morning, I was home with my two youngest children (the other two were at school). I had just signed onto the internet when I saw a picture that didn't even look real. It took a few moments for the reality of what I was looking at to sink in. I just sat there with my mouth hanging open and then I just started to cry and say "Oh God no!" over and over. I grabbed my girls and just held them so tightly. I wanted my other two kids home with me. I felt so very far away from them. When the buildings collapsed I began to pace and cry. I really wanted my kids home with me. I couldn't call my husband because he is a landscaper and doesn't have a cell phone. I felt so disconnected. In the days that followed, I remember thinking how quiet the skies were. It was eerie. I live just a short distance from Logan Airport and have become so accustomed to hearing planes pass overhead in an almost constant stream. It really was strange having no planes in the sky. I recall on a couple of occassions when military planes passed, they were sooo loud and it was very scary. One night we were on our way home and there was people holding candles all along the streets. They were everywhere. When we got home we went out with ours and the other people in our building came out too. There was such a sense of pulling together. It wasn't until my dad came to the house and asked me to check on two passengers of Flight 11 that I realized who they were. N. Janis Lasden and Donald Ditulio were friends of my dad and myself. We knew them from country dancing. We saw each other quite often and Janis and I shared a love of needlework. I think of her and Don all the time. I pray their loved ones find comfort, as well as all those who lost loved ones. May God richly bless your future as we grow stronger as a nation.

My life has changed in many ways. I can't hear a plane without checking the skies. I turn on the news to see if anything else has happened. I broke out in pride for the Red, White and Blue. I wear flag adorned clothing, shoes, pocketbook, backpacks, watch etc. I think about Janis and Don everytime I hear country music. I make sure I hug my kids several times a day. My family prays alot more now too.

UNITY HEROISM RESOLVE
There is an amazing sense of unity in our country now.
The heroes, what's there to say except THANKS!!!
A great sense of resolve to fight this to the finish.

I immediately put one out my window (It's still there and will stay there until it disintegrates or I move). I put flags on the car, on the carriages, on my pocketbook, on my fingernails. If I could find a way to put a flag on something, I did. Prior to 9-11-01 I didn't think about the flag much. I respected it as a symbol of our country, pledged allegiance (didn't really feel allegiance but said the pledge anyway) Now I feel an incredible allegiance not only to the flag but the freedom of our country and those who have fought for that freedom. But I would be remiss if I didn't say that my first allegiance is to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.