Where were you?

‘An airplane just flew into the World Trade Center – a BIG airplane.’

I was working in the office and my cell phone rang. I glanced at the caller ID and saw the babysitter’s number. My immediate response was ‘Great – one of the kids must be sick.’ I answered the phone and heard her asking in a strained voice if I was watching TV or listening to the news.

I thought she was over-reacting. Surely it couldn’t be anything too serious. I got on the internet and pulled up Foxnews.com and saw a Breaking News headline – but no details. Like so many others, my initials thoughts were ‘What a tragedy. Wonder how that could happen.’

I talked to some co-workers, who were also blissfully unaware, and we rolled the tv from the conference room into the office area and turned on the news.

Just in time to see the second Tower get hit.

My phone rang again. The babysitter asked if I was watching now. I mumbled some sort of answer and stayed on the phone – shocked into silence – but needing some type of connection to another soul.

From so many miles away, we stood as mute witnesses to the devastation and destruction of the collapsing towers. We watched the coverage of the attack on the Pentagon. We heard of the flight that crashed and of the passengers’ refusal to passively watch their nation under attack.

We worried.

We prayed.

We cried.

I left work early that day. I picked up my kids and felt like never letting them go again.

Today, they went to school in red, white, and blue. We won’t forget.

In the days following September 11, 2001, we reached out across the nation and grieved for the loss of so many lives. We also grieved as we lost our naïve sense of safety and realized that terrorists could and would strike us at home. We put aside our differences for a short while and let the entire world know that we were Americans. Skin color, religious preference, political views, sexual orientation, social status – all the things that divide our country – became immaterial as we helped each other cope with loss and trauma.

All the issues that divide our country are now back on the table, with venom and discord as side dishes. This nation is a melting pot with opinions of every creed and color. Yet let it be known that even as we argue amongst ourselves – we will stand together when attacked. We can pick on each other, but woe to the outsider who threatens us. We are still Americans, and as such, we are ALL family.

Seven years ago today – where were you?