story4254.xml

story4254.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

I guess I was one of the lucky ones!!! I am a stay-at-home Mom who is able to work from home. While working on this horrific day, I received a call from my mom to turn on the t.v. and she repeated, your brother, your brother!!!!I turned on the t.v. and could not believe my eyes! My body began to shake. Besides my brother who works in a federal building in Washington, I was worried about my immediate family, my children at school and my husband at work. After calming my mom down, I began to attempt to contact my brother in Washington, D.C. After several hours, I was able to leave a message on his voice mail and he did call me back. He was sitting in his office waiting for the traffic to die down. Luckily, he drove in that day from VA. He did not understand the severity of what was happening. After returning to his home to VA, he switched on the t.v. and was in total shock. After a bottle of champagne and a bottle of wine, he called me and was very upset. I tried to calm him as best I could. I could sympathize with him how he felt, for the whole nation felt this way.

As we look back a year ago, I am proud to be an American and am proud to see how our country came together. It will always be in my mind and my prayers are with those victims and their families. I was fortunate. My brother left Washington, D.C. not physically hurt, but emotionally, it will be a day he will never forget either.

GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!!

Cathy Stamato, Woodbridge, New Jersey