story9346.xml

story9346.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2003-06-12

My children were at school, and I was sleeping in, when my husband called to say that there had been a plane crash. We live near a small airport so I was thinking that he ment that a plane had crashed there. When he told me it was on T.V. I was not prepared at all for what I saw! I remeber my mother telling me she remembers exactly where she was and what she was doing when it was announced that President Kennady had been shot. Well I will never forget where I was and what I was doing. I remember it like it was yesterday. I felt the strongest need to be with my children. I went to their school and was asked not to say anything about the bombing and if any students asked questions, I was to remain calm and be evasive. I can't remember a time that it was ever so hard to be calm! I wanted to hold every child there! I found it too difficult to keep my composure and I wanted my own children at home with me, where at least we were together. Not to mention we had no idea what else might happen during that horrible day. That was a day that I never felt so totally helpless. When my children asked, "Mom, are we going to be okay?" For the first, and God help us, hopefully the last time, I had absolutely no honest answer I could give them, because I was terrified inside. I did reassure them that the U.S.A. has the best military in the world and they will do anything and everything to make sure we are safe. They did seem to find comfort in this. We shed many tears in the days to follow and we prayed to God and gave thanks we still had each other. I think everything happens for a reason. Maybe one reason was to bring my husbend and I closer to our children and each other. Maybe another was to teach my children to never take anything for granted, for tomorrow it could all be gone. Our heart and prayers go out to ALL who have given their lives so that the rest of us can be free.