It turns out that seven years is not long enough. Seven years is not long enough to stop reliving waking up to a ringing phone and my mom telling me to turn on the TV. To the first tower falling as I switched it on. Seven years is not long enough for the upwelling of emotion to be forgotten: fear, horror, anger, uncertainty, sadness. Every year I am as overwhelmed as I was that first day. Seven years is not long enough for my world to be the way it was. I realize there will never be enough years for that.
Life changed after that day. I changed. I feel more strongly my love of freedom, my resolve to enjoy life. I know that evil exists and the battle for free agency rages even now. I know that there are those that hate us for being free, for worshipping our God, and they will not stop till we or they are gone. They prey on those yearning for a better life to try to take away ours.
And after all this time I pray. I pray for those who lost loved ones. I pray for leaders who are still trying to protect our country the best they know how. I pray for those who felt they were doing right and for their mothers who felt the same. I don’t pray for their leaders, who taught them so. Seven years is not long enough to trust what I would say if I tried.
I pray for our country. I pray my children will not have to live such a day. I pray I can raise them to be willing to sacrifice if such a day comes again. I pray I would be able to do the same. And I pray that America will not forget. I beg for the sake of my children’s future, please don’t forget. Don’t sink back to indifference and arrogance. And although this day of grief and remembrance has been tempered by the birth of my son, 2 years ago today; as I listened to the news this morning, I realized that 7 years is still not long enough.
I will never forget that day, I sat on my couch, newly pregnant with my 3rd baby, my other (2 and 1) children playing on the floor and I just cried and cried.
ReplyDeleteI felt so bad for what other people had lost. I cried out of fear for my babies. I cried because I was down right mad at who ever had done this.
I think we need to make sure our children never forget this. To many people have already, and if we all forget we will become complacent(sp) and this will happen again.
I was in a political science class when this happened. It was scary for me because I was worried about a draft (I was prime material for a nice foot soldier)
ReplyDeleteAs I FLEW home today, I thought a lot of those people who lost their lives that day. It was truly tragic and it should always be a day to remember our freedom and what it is worth.
ReplyDeleteI too will never forget that day. We were still in bed when a family member called and said turn on your TV NOW! We did just in time to see the first tower come down. It did not seem real then and still in ways doesn't, but I know the feelings are real and the hatred for our country by some people is real. I thank my Father in Heaven that I was so greatly blessed to be born in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.
ReplyDeleteI didn't post anything yesterday, because I just couldn't think of a way to say how I felt about September 11. It seemed everything had already been said, but wow - you wrote a powerful and moving post. It was really beautiful. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteAmen is all I can say to your post. Well I guess I could say Happy Birthday Matthew.
ReplyDeleteI was in Venezuela, away form my country, my family and my peers. I was in a land that was not my own when I look at a TV in a little bakery and saw the caption, "USA under attack!" I will never forget that day either. The feeling of unity that extended to me, and joined me with my country even though I was miles away. Thanks for the post. May God bless this land and those that fight for our freedom.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing that, Charlotte. Although I am grateful that you publish things on your blog exclusively for us, but I think you need to spend more time figuring out how to publish your writings.
ReplyDeleteI started to share with my class about my experience with Sept 11th, being on my mission in Puerto Rico. I was about to ask my students where they were during that time, and all of a sudden I realized that my students were only 2 and 3-year olds. I can't believe 7 years have gone by! Again thank you for your perfectly-written thoughts.
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