nmah4442.xml

nmah4442.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-12

I had just brought my son to kindergarten..it was my day off of work. I heard the news upon my return home, immediately called the Red Cross to ask if there was anything I could do all the way out here in Arizona and so far from the attacks, but the line was busy constantly.

My neighbor and I decided we needed to take our kids out of school, not knowing what was next and wanting them near us. I fit 2 adults and 7 children in my Taurus just to get them all home quickly. We came home and my son, then 5 going on 6, and I watched the events unfold. It was maybe 9 am here in Tucson. My young son watched for some time, as I explained what was happening, what the towers and the Pentagon were, what terrorists are, then said to me, "Mom, this is not good...not good at all." I cried. He cried.

I value things even more intensely since. My patriotism was already high, but after explaining how other countries don't have the freedoms we do, etc, my son has become quite the patriot.

Recently we learned my ex, my son's dad, has lung cancer, with pretty much a death sentence. I suppose my son understands death a little too much for his age now.

The joining of American People, Pride, and Caring. No race, religion, or belifs barriers. Courage. Selflessness. Love. Hope. Empathy. Determination. America is not our money, or buildings, or our silly spats within ourselves. It is not power, or possessions, or wealth, or material things aplenty. It is what built this nation from the start...America is courage, strength of the heart, and no matter what some zealots might try to pass off on the rest of us, America was born, and thrived, with God right alongside our government. He is on our money!! God is intertwined with government no matter how the newer generations wish to dismiss Him. Who did Americans bow their heads to? God. Who did the President pray to on national television? God. Who did we as a nation thank for the lives that were saved? God.

I have always flown the Flag, and put up patriotic decorations for all such holidays. I now see red, white, and blue with one more color alongside it, though...black. Sometimes yellow comes to mind as well. If the Gulf War didn't drill that home to me, this sure did the rest of the job.

On the anniversary Tucson, Arizona did another groundbreaker. We were the first to do a 15,000 person, human flag on the field of a stadium shortly after the initial attacks. It was made into a postcard and distributed across the country. Tonight, on the anniversary, 12,000 had glow sticks, and along with police, firefighters, military, the U of A band and color guard, formed a giant, human 9/11 on the field. We turned off the lights, broke our glow sticks, and created a glowing, human 9/11 in the dark of the night. Fireworks followed as we all sang throughout the evening, patriotic songs. It was a sad remembering along with hope and American Spirit.