Remebering 8 Years Ago

I woke up this morning and immediately recalled how I felt 8 years ago. We had just found out we were expecting our first baby, Mike was at school, and I was feeling sick. I decided to lay on the couch and see what was on TV before I went to work. I can distinctly remember the exact seen I turned on. They were live on the first tower smoking when all of the sudden we saw live the 2nd plane diving into the south tower. I kept thinking that this could not be real, I was dumbfounded and felt completely lost. We live in America, things like this just didn't happen. My bubble had definitely been popped. I can honestly write that I have never been the same since or felt the same way about my country. I was glued to the TV all morning and couldn't wait to talk to Mike about it. I remember wondering what kind of world we would be raising our family in. It was a horrific time that I will certainly never forget. Those next few days I was glued to the news and felt so grateful for everything that I had been given.

The next year Mike was offered an internship on Capitol Hill. We moved in a few days after the 1st anniversary to a little apartment beneath an LDS young woman whose husband was killed in the Pentagon. Suddenly the reality of how horrible 9/11 was came back in full force. I remeber putting myself in her shoes and how heart broken she must have felt. She was a happy person but seeing her watch Mike and I I knew from her eyes was difficult. It was an eye opening experince to say the least. At one point during our semester there we were able to go up to visit Ground Zero in New York. Although, everything was fenced around there were still old luminaries, posters, and pictures of those missing. Again very humbling.

When Mike and I were in New York this last winter we went to Ground Zero again. The place is a HUGE construction zone. Once they are done with the musuem it is going to be spectacular! They have an exhibit just down the road from it that Mike and I were able to visit. It was well worth the money and surprising just how many emotions it envoked. When I awoke this morning I expected to see SOMETHING on the anniversary. I kept flipping channels wanting to find something that was related. Nothing. I couldn't believe it. I dont know what I was looking for maybe something to make it real again... I'm still not sure. I cant help but think of the Alan Jackson song, "Where Were You..." I remember exactly where I was. Its interesting that this day, the 9/11 anniversary also brings those same feelings up like it just happened yesterday. Sorrow for the people directly involved and pride for the great nation that we live in.