story6470.xml

story6470.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-12

I remember the moment all too well. A co-worker was listening to the radio and told me what she had heard..."a plane just hit the side of a World Trade Center tower...". At first, I prayed that it was a horrific accident, but my gut was making me feel much different. We had no TV in the building, so all I had was a radio and my own images. Then, another tower hit, oh my God, my gut was right. I immediately began to cry and pray. I wanted and needed to hold my husband and my kids. I needed to be at home with all of them. I called all my loved ones just to give me a piece of mind that everyone was okay. I asked my husband to take off work and meet me at home. I went home to be with my family.

I told them things that I thought they knew and that I had told them, but I didn't want to live another day without knowing 100% that I told every single one of them how much I loved them, how proud and thankful I was that they were my family and how much I need them. We made an agreement to never take our lives or each other for granted.

I finally turned on the TV for the first time, and the real vision was much worse than my mind had invisioned possible.

I prayed that evening very differently. It changed from "thank you Lord and bless my family and friends" to a more broad.."Please Lord, watch over our country our world...". I also prayed that the overwhelming feelings of greatfulness and thankfulness for everyone I loved would never fade with the tragedy. I pray the same for America.

Fortunatley, the churches were filled for days after the tragedy. Unfortunately, they became less filled as the tragedy diminished fromt he media.

May God Bless America...from the men and women who defend it, to the people who try to run it, to the people who live in it. And May God Bless our world.

May we NEVER forget and continue to pray!

AMEN.