Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Remembering

Today is the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

Today is a day that our country mourns the loss of 2977 men and women.

Today is the day that we send up extra prayers for the family's and loved ones that lost someone on that horrific day.

Today is a day for remembrance.

I remember that day very clearly as I am sure most people do. I was 17 years old. We were living with mom and dad in Mesa. Randy, Colten, and I were sleeping. I remember mom coming in an waking us up. She said we had to come look! I think it was the tone of her voice that had me jumping out of bed. It was a mixture of disbelief and panic. It take a lot to get mom worked up like that so immediately I was worried.

We gather around the tv and watch the reports come in. I don't think it really hit me what was going on or how bad it was until I saw the second plane hit! That's when the knots in my stomach tightened and I started feeling sick.

What IS going on?? Why is this happening!! It's not just an accident because that type of thing doesn't happen twice! Oh God what is going to happen now?

I remember just sitting there watching tv and waiting for someone to say "It's going to be ok!"

I remember feeling so sad for all those people that were there and for their families. I couldn't even imagine having someone I know and loved in those buildings and not knowing if they were ok.

When the first tower fell I cried. I felt sad but I also felt scared! SO very scared. What did all of this mean for us? I mean you see stuff like this happen in other countries and you don't really give a whole lot of thought to it. But THIS was here. This was close!! What would happen to four country now? The land of the free just became the land of the terrorized.

In the days following we saw a lot of unity. People coming forward to help strangers. People comforting other people. We were a country that had just taken a huge blow and we pulled together in support of each other. For a while the small everyday things didn't matter. We let the little stuff go. Our everyday gripes didn't seem very significant anymore.

We had UNITY!
We had COMPASSION.

Today as I was watching a news segment and one of the reporters pointed that very thing out. He said that every year on this anniversary you see it again. People coming together and showing support. People doing kind things just because. You see that unity. He also made a powerful suggestion that made me think. "If we treated each other like this the other 364 days a year this world would be a better place."

That is SO very true!!! Why is it that we can come together as a nation when things are tough but not in everyday life? Why is it that we can be caring and supportive only on a day that forces is to remember a horrible time for us? If we were like that all the time or even just half of the time this world would be a WAY better place to love in don't you think?

What's my point? I am not sure really. I just felt like putting this out there. I felt like the news reporter hit the nail on the head with what he said and it made me feel guilty for whining and complaining about stupid insignificant stuff on a daily basis when in reality it could be so much worse. It made me feel like I want to try to do my part to be that kind, caring, supportive, unselfish person more then just a couple times a year!

How did it make you feel? Do my words make sense or is it just a bunch of rambling thoughts? I would love to hear feedback. Even if it's just to tell me that you think I am crazy! :-)



1 comment :

  1. That's funny. I chose not to read this until I posted mine, but they sound so similar. While normally I think you are crazy this time I don't! I thought mine sounded like rambling too, but how do you not ramble when you talk about something that is still so hard to understand even 11 years later! Love and Miss Ya....Kim

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