I wasn't sure if I would blog about this, but I read many blogs of friends and family and thought that I would write my thoughts down of where I was and how Sept. 11th 2001 affected me. I realized I never journaled about this moment and I need to have it somewhere in some form of a journal.
In 2001, Dave and I lived in the Washington DC area. He worked near the Pentagon and also was a full time student. I was pregnant with Samantha, so it was Dylan and I. This particular morning Dave was still at home. He had to work later that day, so he was sleeping in. I turned off Dylan's cartoons..Bear in the Big Blue house...and turned on channel 4 to watch the news. There I saw the World Trade Center on fire. I thought..wow, again? I hope everyone gets out OK. At this point, no one knew anything. I sat down to watch and ten minutes into it..I saw the second plane crash into the second building. I stood there shocked. I really didn't see a plane crash into the building? I ran downstairs and got Dave up. We watched and watched. Totally glued to the TV. We got his Mom over and see watch with us. We then learned about the Pentagon. We then knew we were under attack. Then the calls started. Over 50% of our ward was either, CIA, ATF, FBI, Firemen, or Pentagon workers. I got a call from one of my young women. She couldn't get ahold of her Mom who works a the Pentagon. She was at school and totally freaked out. We finally were able to get her Mom on the phone. Luckily she was OK..She worked about 50 feet away from the crash. Then shortly after we heard about a crash in Pennsylvania. Dave's Dad was in there working. (We lived in this beltway thing..we could get from VA to WV to MD to PA in about 20 minutes.) He of course was OK...but it was a little nerve racking. Dave's work called and they shut down for the rest of the week.I remember President Bush receiving the word of what happened when he was at the elementary school assembly. you could see the anger and confusion in his face as he tried to keep it together for these students. Everything shut down there. Everyone helped there. The next day, at our ward building, the Red Cross set up to help. (the director of the Red Cross was in our ward.) We helped collect anything and everything. My YW made over 120 dozens cookies, brownies, muffins, etc all for the firemen at the Pentagon. We submerged ourselves in helping and serving. What a time it was. We sat for weeks hoping, praying, and wondering how this could've happened. How is there this much evil in the world? So much hate? I remember crying..for people who I didnt even know. I think it was my prego hormones. I remember feeling so angry that this happened to our great nation and that so many innocent people had to die. And for what? Mostly I felt sad. Adn so we watcehd for weeks and weeks. There was nothign else on TV for several days. I remember wathcing Jay Lenos first time back and how he wasnt quite sure what to say. I remember how wierd it ws to get back to business in the USA. We had to go to the store on the day after the attacks. The shelves were bare and not much to choose from. That made it a little more scarier. Our ward was very barren the next few weeks. Many of our ward members went to the Pentagon and Ground Zero to help. We heard many first hand stories and were blessed to know these hero's.
As I watch today, the memorial at the Pentagon is complete. President Bush had a hard time today dedicated the memorial. It was sweet to see him in this way. I am grateful to those who fight and serve to protect our country. Because of them, we are free and safe. Dave had the chance to go to New York and go to Ground Zero and said it was very eerie. He said it was a reverent place. And he said he was glad to have gone there to see, to remember, and to be grateful. I am truely grateful for living in this country and I am grateful to those who serve us for keeping us safe. I will always remember what I was doing, where I was, and how I felt that day i think. And I hope I will never forget.
