9-11-01

I think everyone in their lifetime has a historical event permanently etched in the mind that they will never forget.
7 years ago today, I remember sitting at my desk at the NIH surfing the web when my coworker gasps that a plane has hit the World Trade Center...I remember being stunned/shocked as the news flashed across AOL that another plane has hit the buildings. I call my parents to see what is going on and my dad is screaming at me to GET OUT OF THAT GOVERNMENT BUILDING.

Apparently, one of his police friends told him that there were more planes/more terrorists. I remember running down the hall way of the hospital to the living room where the tv was and all of the patients and nurses that I worked with were all crowded around the tv. I remember hearing that there was another crash at the pentagon and Bobby worked in Alexandria at the time so my stomach dropped. There were rumors that there were other planes flying around Dulles and we had just moved to Sterling in July.

I remember driving home in bumper to bumper traffic on the toll road and Bobby telling me that he had to stay at work. I was so mad, and scared and upset about that. Who rents cars at a time like this? We were just married 4 months at the time.

It took me 2 hours to get home from Bethesda that day and military planes were flying over head as I pulled into the driveway of our townhouse in my little Jetta. I remember running outside at one point to see a plane fly overhead and locking myself out of the house. Thank god my friends lived close and brought our spare key.

I remember being glued to the tv and my girlfriend's husband calling me saying we should get out of town. Where would we go, no where is safe, I remember saying. I remember that night hearing the planes fly overhead and not sleeping at all.

I remember the next day sitting at Meg's house in Alexandria all of us watching the news and a girl our age holding flyers and crying looking for her best friend. We all sat there in silence with tears pouring down our faces. I wonder if she was ever found?

I remember 9-11-02, the one year anniversary, sitting in my hotel room in Phoenix watching the memorial service and feeling little lex kick me the first time.

I think on a day like today, no matter how big our problems may seem, nothing compares to what those people had to go through that day. I thank god that everyone I love is safe on days like today and hug them just a little bit tighter.
http://www.heartlight.org/prayerforthenation/iprayforpeace.html