On September 11, 2001 I was 9 months pregnant with Ayden and very sleep deprived. I received a call from my mil early at 7:00 AM saying "are you watching TV?" I told her no but turned it on just in time to see United flight 175 hit the "south" tower. What was going on I thought as fire and smoke billowed from the towers. I continued to watch in complete horror unable to turn the live coverage off as two more jetliners American flight 77 slammed into the Pentagon and United flight 93 crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. I started having contractions at about 10:00 AM as reports began to say that the events were no accident, it was a terrorist attack against the US. I later watched as the towers collapsed in a shower of debris and plume of thick dust. I like most American's was in utter disbelief at what had happened not wanting to think about what if anything else was going to happen next. I continued to watch the coverage as tears streamed down my face praying that my contractions would stop because I didn't want to have my beautiful baby boy today, not on this very sad day. My contractions eventually slowed with some help and lots and lots of prayers, the day turned to night as my heart filled with grief and sadness. I lit luminaries in my yard for an entire week I thought that was the least I could do if nothing else. Jackson was 2 years old and didn't understand why I was sad, he just came to give me a hug and kiss every time he got up to go play with something else. I sobbed as I held him thinking of all the parents who had lost a child and would never be able to hold them again. Over the next week as the reports surfaced I was dumb struck at how meticulously the attacks were carried out as the toll of the lost American mother's, father's, sister's, brother's, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and children continued to rise. When the Olympics came to Salt Lake City in February 2002 and the flag that was flying at the WTC was presented tears rolled dwon my cheeks, it was a very hollowed moment one I will never forget. In March 2005 I went to ground zero with my mil and truly felt and saw the utter pain and magnitude of the September 11 attacks. Bag pipers played as our eyes filled with tears remembering what had happened here just 4 years earlier. Jagged pieces of metal still buried in the rubble as workers still sift through the destruction. My heart still aches for all those who lost a loved one on September 11 and I am so thankful for all the men and women who leave their own families to serve in our nations military to protect our freedom and for all the American lives we have lost in the Iraq war. I am so proud to be an American and will never forget the events that took places on September 11 and all those precious lives that were taken away from their families so suddenly and violently. I will never forget September 11, 2001 and if you drive by my house on September 11, 2025 you will still see my luminaries lighting the night for all those that were lost......
On September 11, 2001 I was 9 months pregnant with Ayden and very sleep deprived. I received a call from my mil early at 7:00 AM saying "are you watching TV?" I told her no but turned it on just in time to see United flight 175 hit the "south" tower. What was going on I thought as fire and smoke billowed from the towers. I continued to watch in complete horror unable to turn the live coverage off as two more jetliners American flight 77 slammed into the Pentagon and United flight 93 crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. I started having contractions at about 10:00 AM as reports began to say that the events were no accident, it was a terrorist attack against the US. I later watched as the towers collapsed in a shower of debris and plume of thick dust. I like most American's was in utter disbelief at what had happened not wanting to think about what if anything else was going to happen next. I continued to watch the coverage as tears streamed down my face praying that my contractions would stop because I didn't want to have my beautiful baby boy today, not on this very sad day. My contractions eventually slowed with some help and lots and lots of prayers, the day turned to night as my heart filled with grief and sadness. I lit luminaries in my yard for an entire week I thought that was the least I could do if nothing else. Jackson was 2 years old and didn't understand why I was sad, he just came to give me a hug and kiss every time he got up to go play with something else. I sobbed as I held him thinking of all the parents who had lost a child and would never be able to hold them again. Over the next week as the reports surfaced I was dumb struck at how meticulously the attacks were carried out as the toll of the lost American mother's, father's, sister's, brother's, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and children continued to rise. When the Olympics came to Salt Lake City in February 2002 and the flag that was flying at the WTC was presented tears rolled dwon my cheeks, it was a very hollowed moment one I will never forget. In March 2005 I went to ground zero with my mil and truly felt and saw the utter pain and magnitude of the September 11 attacks. Bag pipers played as our eyes filled with tears remembering what had happened here just 4 years earlier. Jagged pieces of metal still buried in the rubble as workers still sift through the destruction. My heart still aches for all those who lost a loved one on September 11 and I am so thankful for all the men and women who leave their own families to serve in our nations military to protect our freedom and for all the American lives we have lost in the Iraq war. I am so proud to be an American and will never forget the events that took places on September 11 and all those precious lives that were taken away from their families so suddenly and violently. I will never forget September 11, 2001 and if you drive by my house on September 11, 2025 you will still see my luminaries lighting the night for all those that were lost......
1 comment:
Renee,
This was really well written. Makes me so sad to think of all the families that have lost their loved ones. We take so much for granted. Thank you for sharing.
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