Today is the 7-year anniversary of September 11, 2001. Hard to believe. It's even more difficult for me to believe that when I look at pictures I've seen a hundred times now, it doesn't affect me the way it used to. It still makes me sad, don't get me wrong, but time has erased some of the sharpness. I don't know if that's good or bad. Either way, I wanted to find an image that I would feel. I felt the impact of this one in my chest:
As we gear up for the divisiveness a presidential election always seems to bring, I remember September 11 and realize that what I most long for is an America united. Ours is a great country, and it would be lovely to talk about our political differences with intelligence and respect. But that's a topic for another post. Today, I just want to memorialize a day that changed our country forever.
For Christmas that year, Brian gave me a book about September 11, with tons of photographs and a little bit of commentary too.
It has all the pictures you'd expect of the burning towers, streets covered with ash, and overwhelmed but determined rescue workers. But it also has pictures like the one of Americans holding hands across the aisle while singing the national anthem at a baseball game. America has it's issues, but we know how to band together in a crisis. I'm proud of that.
When I first read through that book back in December 2001, I'd occasionally write my feelings and memories about September 11 on the pages. I decided to share one of those entries here:
"The President declared the Friday after the attack a national day of Prayer and Remembrance. He asked everyone to go to a church that day. I saw the National Prayer Service on TV and then later on went to church for the satelite broadcast with the Prophet. I'm glad I participated in those things. It's interesting though, because I saw some people in tears, but it wasn't those kinds of events that would affect me. It was seeing our Congress spontaneously sing 'God Bless America.' It was hearing a woman call in to the radio and request a dedication to the passengers on the Pennsylvania flight that was taken down in an act of heroism. The song she requested was by Whitney Houston - 'One Moment in Time.' I was in tears, driving down the street, singing the words to this song: 'give me one moment in time, when I'm more than I thought I could be. When all of my dreams are a heartbeat away... when I'm racing with destiny... that one moment in time, I will feel eternity... you're a winner for a lifetime if you seize that one moment in time.' Those are the kinds of things that would make me cry."
September 11, 2001 is a day worth remembering, for so many reasons.
3 comments:
That was a wonderful post. I can't believe it's been 7 years since that happened, it seems like just yesterday.
I can still remember the day it happened perfectly in my head. Ian and I were only married a month and my mom called us early in the morning crying hysterically telling us to turn on the tv. That day at work we listened to patriotic music all day and nobody said two words. It was completely silent. Everyone was mourning.
Well said. I too remember listening to the radio or watching the TV and hearing people's stories about REAL lives lost. I was obsessed with learning about who these people were.
I love how there were American flags everywhere--on cars, businesses, clothing, etc. Everyone was so proud of our country instead of being critical. How I long for that patriotism again. . .
I had chills reading your post. Amazing.
I can't believe it's been so long since this horrible tragedy happened. So many lives lost. Thankfully, through all of this, Americans stuck together and became stronger. I love that about the country we live in. We are truly blessed to be here.
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