nmah4531.xml

nmah4531.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-12

I was in my car on the way to the first MOPS(Mothers of Preschoolers)meeting of the year. It was a beautiful fall day and I was listening to the radio when the first report came in about the WTC being hit. My first thought was, "This is a bad attempt at a joke, even for a radio morning show." Over the next few minutes, though, I realized that this was REAL, not a gimmick. I was numb at first and then saddened and enraged at the nerve of these people, whoever they were. All I could think of was all the MOPS in New York who had just lost their husbands, brothers, fathers, as well as all the children who lost their mothers. I did not watch any TV coverage for two days because I just could not bear to see the images played over and over. My two children, ages 5 and 10 at the time, had many questions such as "Why did somebody do something so mean?" and "Is Dad going to have to fight a war?" Those were questions that not even I knew the answers to. My personal relationship with God is what gave me peace and sanity among the chaos and destruction of that day.

No, except for a heightened awareness of our vulnerability as a nation to outsiders who envy and despise our freedoms. I no longer take for granted that I will never have to see war in my lifetime or that my husband or son will not have to fight in one.

The courage of all the firefighters, police, EMT's that responded without a second thought to their safety. The strong, calming leadership that President Bush displayed. The stories of the people on Flight 93 that crashed in Shanksville, PA. The way our nation was united in its patriotism and "quiet rage" at the perpetrators, even if temporary.

Yes, and I'm somewhat embarrassed that it took a tragedy like that to make us go buy a flag. I have always loved the American flag, though, as it stands for our freedom, our republic, and our unity under God as a nation.