9/11

10 years ago we lived in kind of an "ify" neighborhood in an apartment in Boise. My husband had a dream job with Micron. Although we had three kids (and possibly pregnant with the fourth) he had just graduated college (again) and this was his first job in his new field. He really, really, like it. Sadly, hundreds of people were laid off shortly after, including us.

I remember waking up, going down the stair and turning on the news for a minute. I was getting ready to drive Kassidy to school. I can't even remember exactly what I saw now but it was the twin towers on fire and the attack. I ran back upstairs to tell Corey who was home for the day. I remember he was sleeping and didn't really believe it was as bad as I was telling him.

As I drove Kassidy to school the newscaster on the radio said the words I will always remember "Ladies and Gentlemen...We are at war!" SHOCK!

Later that day at school, Kassidy had the flu. When I went to pick her up one of the teachers told me that Kassidy being sick helped her so much that day. That she had been walking around in a trance and Kassidy being sick snapped her out of it.

Several times in the next week I remember calling my dad for comfort because I was confused what this all meant. The grocery store was EMPTY and I was hearing they were going to be shutting down, that everything was going to be shutting down. None of that happened.

Instead of shutting down, America "snapped to" and came alive. It was great.

I also remember calling my dad confused. "Am I supposed to hate Muslim people now?"

I had a neighbor who was my friend. She was a few years older than me. A Muslim lady would walk through our street to go to work or the store, I assume. I had never really crossed her path but my friend had, and they would always say hi to each other. After that day on 9/11 my friend chose not to speak to her anymore. My friend was mad at her for what her people did to us. I was astonished.

I remember looking out my window and seeing the Muslim lady walking, the first week after the attack. She was walking down the street in her usual Burqaa. One of my biggest wishes, now that I am older and wiser, is that I would have gone and spoken to her, or walked with her. I am sure it was a very scary time for her as well. I regret that I didn't do that.

I still remember my dads sound voice of reason saying how nuts it was to hate all Muslim people because of the attacks. He was a comfort at that time... to a daughter who thought the world was about to shut down. Love him.

There isn't anything else I can say. I just remember the horrificness (not a word? should be.) of people jumping out of the buildings. The people running through the streets, grayish white, covered in ash. All the stories of suffering and also amazing heroism. I was glued to the TV the whole time as was probably the rest of the nation.

‎I got this off Face Book:
2,997 people died. 411 people risked their lives to save others. At least 200 people jumped or fell to their deaths. 2 beautiful buildings destroyed. 246 people left on an airplane & never got to see home again. 2,997 innocent people left their homes one day & never got to see their families again.

Loved what my Glenn Beck said about the next day...

"On 9/12 no one in the government had to tell us what to do. We just did it. We went and we found a place to give blood. We went and we gave money. We gathered together. We gathered our family around. We prayed. We were the people that our grandparents were and nobody had to tell us"


Best wishes on this day of remembering.