I was in the fall semester of my senior year of high school. I had just gotten to my economics class when an annoucement was made over the intercom informing the school of the first plane to hit the World Trade Centers. TV's were turned on in classrooms around the country, and we watched as the second plane hit soon after.
The sky was empty that day, and for many days to follow...eerily empty. In a country that is so fast-paced, everything came to a stand-still.
I remember going through the motions of the rest of my day and watching the news as I worked my afternoon job at my dad's office. Sometime that afternoon, reality hit and I sat in my lonely office/breakroom and cried. The world is full of bad people, and that day God chose to remind America of that. We are fortunate to live where we do and I think that day many people realized just how great it is here. Days like 9.11.2001 are typical in other countries around the world, but to us, it was earth-shattering.
One of my favorite parts of my NYC trip in June was the visit to Ground Zero. While actual Ground Zero is just a monstrous construction site now, the church across the street - St. Paul's Chapel - is where the memories lie. This church was a haven for the people of all races and beliefs. It is a church that has seen many things.
Admittedly, it was hard for me to grasp the size of this tragedy. My 17-year-old mind had a hard time feeling things I could not experience in person. Visiting this church made it all real. All the photos, all the letters, all the stories...it's all very real and my hurt truly felt the pain of that day.
This event had a rippling effect in my life, not to mention others around the world. This triggered the war on terrorism that sent many of our loved ones, including my studly husband, overseas. Thank you to those that helped. Those that prayed. Those that wept. Those that fought. Those that are still fighting today. We came together as a nation that day, and while we are human and the memories fade, the history is now carved in stone.
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