nmah712.xml

nmah712.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-01

I work at a 4th/5th grade school. I heard about the attacks and immediately turned on the tv to see the first building come down. My heart was in my throat. I was really terrified, but had to retain composure for all the children. We were told to tell the children that something had happened to our country and they were instructed to go home and ask their parents about it. We felt this was something that the parents might want to handle personally as everyone handles grief in their own way.

For weeks on in - I felt a lonliness - I couldn't watch the tv without crying and feeling so empty. For the first time in my life I was as scared as a child even though I was 40. I have never felt like our security was an issue in the United States because we have always had such freedom. My own children asked question after question. I still have my daughters journal from last year. She was in first grade. Her entry for September 11, 2001 was ....
"The bildings fell down". She drew the Trade Towers and a sad face. It broke my heart.

Then after the shock of it all it renewed my faith in America to see how many people responded in compassionate and patriotic ways. Through something so tragic, we have gained....we are ONE.

It is so hard to keep the mentality of counting your blessings everyday with all that we have to do in our everyday lives. I want to live each day as my last and I have made a better effort to not let the small stuff matter so much. It is hard to do, but I try.

All the people who went to work that day not knowing that it was their last is a tribute to the American Spirit. The firefighters and policeman who took a oath with their career to serve and protect and they died doing exactly that.

We flew our flag alot prior to this happening, but on 9/11 we started flying it day and night, with a light on it at night. It felt so good to see more people being patriotic, but it still makes me sad that not everyone flies the flag.