story7033.xml

story7033.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-13

I remember hearing just a bit of news coverage right after the first airplane hit. I was driving my 3 year old to school and myself to work (at the same school). I didn't really know what happened. During the morning I was scheduled to speak with parents with our diagnostic team. One parent called and I happened to answer the phone. This was around 9:15 a.m.. She was very afraid. She called to say she wasn't sending her child to school that day and then she told me "the united states is being attacked". She gave me scetchy details. I immediately called my husband who was working at a high rise in Chicago, Illinois. I called my younger brother who works at O'hare International Airport but was supposed to go to the Art Institute that day.

The thing about 9/11 for me is it was supposed to be this awesome day. My dad had battled many illnesses, rare illnesses and was going to be released from the hospital on 9/14 after an almost 4 month stay. September 11 was his home training program. I remember I kept praying that we would still be able to go to the hospital for the training. I also remember my dad telling me he never thought he'd ever see anything like 9/11, and he was 74 years old and spent 6 years in the airforce!

We went to the hospital for the training. Every single parent showed up on time for their conference that day. When I got home every house on my street had their flags out and by 7 p.m. almost every neighbor was at my house. The days that followed were sad, scary, unforgettable.

I will always associate those days with my dad's triumph from the hospital. My dad passed away completely unexpectedly on December 21, 2001. Sometimes I think, now he knows all those other people who passed away on 9/11.