Simply Mel

Thanks for sharing this. I’m going to do the same on my blog.
I have to say that I do wish they would share just a portion of that coverage again. It’s so easy for people to forget what our country went through that day. Maybe showing some of that footage would be a good reminder.

Thanks for posting this Melissa! I’ve watched some of the coverage of that day several times and it is hard to watch. I remember seeing it happen on tv while I was cleaning my bedroom that morning and it seemd so surreal. I remember thinking about you and Mike and if you all were safe. I thought “what else could be happening up there in the neck of the woods” . I did call you and you all were in RI and then I felt alot better knowing you all were O.K.

It’s so hard to remember what happened that day, and hard to deal with the fact that all those people lost their lives.. but one thing is for sure. We will Never forget.

I was taking a walk with the toddlers and Michele. We saw one of the teachers from the after school program and she told us that a plane had crashed into the world trade center. Michele and I thought of the one in Boston and thought it was weird that a plane would crash into that. When we got back to the center, we discovered that not only was it one plane crash, but two and maybe a third on it’s way to camp david. The words “terrorist attack” kept coming up. I was so scared I just wanted to leave work and go get Eathen to make sure he was safe. I went home that night and saw it on tv and was just devastated by it all. Now years later I like millions of Americans, do forget about it until the anniversary. We all have become complacent and it’s easy to forget all the pain of that day until it is reminded to us. Never lose sight what what’s really important in your life, 911 shows just how quickly life can change. My thoughts go out to all who were affected by this tragedy.

Ethan was 16 months old at the time, and I was a stay at home mom. I remember that it was a beautiful Tuesday afternoon and Steve had his first graphic design class that night. I was still overwhelmed by being a first-time mom (even though it had been over a year), and I took Ethan to Walmart that day to buy some markers and paint to keep him occupied until his bedtime. I remember looking up at the clock while I was checking out at Walmart, and it was 9:50 AM. We checked out and headed for home. I put Ethan down for his nap around 10:15, and that’s when I got the call from Theresa Waller. She told me to turn on the TV. I did, and I saw the smoke coming out of the north tower of the World Trade Center. (South tower had already collapsed). I didn’t fully understand what had happened. I called my parents’ house, and my dad answered. He told me to get Ethan out of his crib and come over right away – that on a day like this one, we needed to all be together. I remember feeling unsafe, like a plane was going to fall out of the sky any minute and kill me. I remember stopping at an intersection and looking around at all the cars nearby, and thinking that every single person had the same look on their face…shock. This is what I wrote in Ethan’s journal later that day:

“Ethan,
Of course you had no idea what was going on today, but you must have sensed that something was amiss. You didn’t get to see any of your favorite videos today; instead, you ran around with your toys while I sat with Grammy & Grampy in front of the news. You must have wondered why we were talking in such strange tones, and shaking our heads in disbelief, and crying, and hugging. You must have sensed it, because you tried your best to cheer Grammy up. I’ve never seen you give such loving hugs. You would rest your head on her shoulder for minutes at a time and just let her hold you. That’s pretty unusual, considering you’re usually a streak running by, too busy for snuggles. Tonight Daddy & I let you fingerpaint out on the porch, just to give you a break from all the “adult” stuff going on. You were covered in paint from head to toe by the time you were done, and we took pictures. I hope you get a kick out of them someday. Tonight when I tucked you into bed, I touched your sweet cheek and thought of how innocent you are. I wish you could keep that innocence. Your nursery is so comforting and serene, and I wish you could sleep there every night of your life, away from all the sorrow of the world. I love you so much, my little man, and I don’t understand why these bad things happen. I feel guilty that people out there are suffering so much. It’s not fair. It’s not fair.”

PS..(and I apologize for stealing all your comment space!) I stuck a tape into my VCR that day (since 2001 was a few years before DVR came around) and I taped many of the live newscasts. For some reason, this past 9/11, I put one in and watched some of it. And Ethan (now 9) had some questions, but I was unsure of exactly how much to share with him. All I know for sure is that eventually, one of my kids (and yours!) is going to have to write a report about 9/11, and I just know I’m going to cry when I tell them about it. Not that that’s a bad thing, but it’s just that I wonder if they’ll ever know the full impact of that day. I remember when the Challenger exploded..I was in 6th grade and I came home from school to find my Dad watching the news and crying. It was the only time I’d ever seen him cry. (He’s a teacher, so he felt a real connection with Christa McAuliffe). I wonder if my kids will someday think of 9/11 the way I think of the Challenger disaster…as the thing that made their parent cry like a baby.