Never Forget....

Eight years ago today, the world as we know it was changed forever. I will never forget where I was when I first learned of the event.


I had to stop in the pediatrician's office with Connor, then a little over a year old, to get a form for his playgroup co-op. The 1st tower had just been hit and it was on the television. I was talking to the receptionist and turned around, thinking it was some hoax the morning news was telling us about. When I got to the playgroup, it was semi-chaotic as news was breaking and everyone was slightly freaking out. After learning that another plane had crashed into the 2nd tower and it was in fact NO hoax, I picked up my son and headed for the car. I was panicking because my best friend was an airline attendant and was flying that day. Someone had mentioned to me that it was her airline that crashed (it was not thank god), so I immediately started to make phone calls trying to find out where she was and what was going on. After a few horrific, tear filled hours, we learned that she was in the air when it happened, but was grounded somewhere in the west, safe. My other dear friend had gone to NYC on a mini-vaca with her boyfriend and was staying only a couple of blocks away from ground zero. After about 6 frantic hours of phone calls, I learned from her mother that she was safe.

I remember watching the news footage while on the phone with my father (we lived in Syracuse and he was home in Rochester). We watched in silent horror as the towers collapsed. There was nothing but media coverage on television 24/7 for more than a week--about how long it took for the realization to set in for me.

I am grateful every day for the men and women that ran into the terror to help others and will never forget the innocent lives lost that day.

September 11, 2001---a brutal reminder that life is just too short so hug the ones you love and tell them every day.....