Remembering September 11th, 2001

I haven't been able to get 9/11 out of my mind all week. I remember clearly where I was that day {don't we all?}. And all of the confused emotions from that day keep assailing me.

It was the beginning of another hot and sticky fall day in Franklin, Tennessee. I had woken up and moved through my morning routine. I was only 8 years old. 8 1/2 to be exact. Pretty wrapped up in my own little world. I certainly didn't think very much about people outside of my small sphere of friends, family and acquaintances... much less people I didn't even know.

Yet all of that changed in an instant. Sometime during the 8 o'clock hour- I don't remember the exact time- the phone rang and Mama answered. "Turn on the radio {we didn't own a tv at the time} and listen to the news", said Daddy, "The twin-towers in Manhattan are collapsing. A plane crashed into them but don't really know what happened yet...." 

"What are the twin-towers?" I thought,  "why are they collapsing?" I could barely even begin to wrap my mind around this catastrophic event. But even among those thoughts & not knowing why this was so riveting to me, somehow -in my 8 year old mind- it registered that this was huge. I sat almost glued to the dining room table listening to the news & taking notes.  This was important. This was devastating. I remember hearing the words "terrorists" and "terrorists attacks" for the first time. Hearing when the plane crashed into the Pentagon.  Hearing small bits of the bravery of those people on the fourth flight which went down in Pennsylvania. Bravery which swelled the patriotism in my little soul so much.

From that day on I was awake to the world outside of my small sphere. I jumped on the internet searching every news page for everything about the terrorist attacks. Articles. Videos. Images. Heartbreaking videos and images. For the first time in my life, I cared to follow the news and know what was going on around me. When the first books on 9/11 came out, I snatched them up and poured over the images. The stories of bravery. The stories of overwhelming grief. My young heart ached for those families who I had never met and never would meet. 

I remember how the whole country came together in one unified effort of patriotism & faith. Prayer meetings everywhere. Churches throwing open their doors. Pews full for the first time in ages. Tragedy has a way of doing that.

In the following days, weeks & months I remember President Bush's address to the nation. I remember when they stopped searching for survivors. I remember the declaration of war. I remember reading of the first soldier to give his life in the war. I remember the anthrax attacks. So much happened.

Last summer, as a family, we had the opportunity to visit Ground Zero. Such a sobering experience. Wow.

Now it's been 10 years. I can hardly wrap my mind around that! 10 years?! I remember talking to people in the days and months following 9/11 about where we would be in 10 years. It seemed so very far away at the time.
Where has our nation come in 10 years? What happened to those prayers and full church pews? Why have we let prayer & God be revoked from our schools? Why have we let Christ's name become so degraded to the point that on the very day where once people were begging God for mercy, 10 years later He isn't even allowed to be apart of their memorial service?
And this war has become so commonplace. How often do I think of and appreciate those still over there fighting for my freedom? Not even close to enough. 10 years of war. What have I had to sacrifice? So little. Next to nothing really. I am just another spoiled American who is not even close to feeling the true pangs and sacrifice which war brings.

To those who gave their lives & fought for others on that day... and who have given their lives & fought for us since then. And to their families. I can't even begin to express my gratitude. Thank you. Thank you for all that's been sacrificed for all of us. I hope I never forget it.

Where were you on September 11th, 2001? How old were you? How did it impact your life? Did you know anyone who was there at the time? I want to know.

Praying for all those remembering today and for our nation's revival,
Em