9/11 ~ I'll always remember...

Like most people, whose lives have been touched by the tragedy of 9/11, I can remember exactly what I was doing when I heard about the World Trade Center being hit by the planes.

It was my junior year of high school, and the first and only year I ever went to public school. I was walking with some friends to Chemistry class with Mr. Hover. I can't remember who it was that said it, but I remember hearing the words, "A plane crashed into the World Trade Center." At that time, I knew very little about the World Trade Center. All I knew was that it was in New York City, and it was obvious that it was a terrorist attack. I can remember thinking to myself, "I cannot believe that someone would do that. What a horrible joke to try and play on everyone!" But, when I walked into class, the tv was on, and the horror was only starting to unfold. Instead of class, we sat, riveted, watching to see what would happen next. While we were watching, the reporters from the Pentagon that were talking with the news anchor relayed that the Pentagon had just been hit and he had felt the building shake when it was hit. I went numb. My best friend's father worked in the Pentagon. I immediately started praying for her and her family that her father was ok.

I felt bad for a good friend of mine. It was her 16th birthday. She'll never remember her birthday as being a wonderful day. It will always be marked as the day our lives changed forever.

For the rest of the day, I walked around in a daze, as did all my classmates. We watched the towers fall. We watched people jumping from the towers to their deaths to avoid being roasted alive. The images, I'm sure, are seared into our brains. For me, I know, I will never forget. For all those lives lost, for all those families who lost a loved one, my hearts mourns with yours.

While watching the ceremony today at Ground Zero, most all the officials that spoke read a poem. They were about remembering. A poem that was left out was one that I feel has a deeper connection to what occurred. It also happens to be a favorite of mine.

“Remember”

Christina Rossetti

Remember me when I am gone away,

   Gone away into the silent land;

   When you can no more hold me by the hand,

Nor I half turn to go yet turning to stay.

Remember me when no more day by day

   You tell me of our future that you planned:

   Only remember me, you understand.

It will be late to counsel then or pray.

Yet if you should forget me for a while

   And afterwards remember, do not grieve:

   For if the darkness and corruption leave

   A vestige of the thoughts that I once had,

Better by far you should forget and smile

   Than that you should remember and be sad.

9/11 – We will never forget!