1) lazy Sunday morning sleep in
2) sold some things on craig's list to make us "lighter" for our move
3) potty training going well with 3 year old. Almost down to only one in diapers!!! yipee.
I did not have a chance to sit and write on September 11th but have been thinking about it the past few days. It is frightening to recognize and acknowledge that in this world there really is an element of pure hatred and evil. Not something to dwell on day to day but yet we should never forget it either. I remember well where I was when I heard about the attacks on the twin towers on 9-11-2001. I had dropped my children off at school and was sitting in a church scripture study class when cell phones started to ring. Details were not clear at first but I will never forget the looks on the women's faces when the announcement was made that terrorists had crashed planes into the twin towers and the Pentagon. At that time it was also believed that DC was under attack and that there had been an explosion at the state department building. Rumor had it that the national mall was on fire as well. Many of the women sitting around me had family and friends who worked in the buildings in question and almost all of us had loved ones in DC. I immediately worried about my own husband who was supposed to be on the metro headed downtown at that very moment. Since the attacks were happening currently, we all were very afraid that the metro would be the next target. I have never been so relieved as I was when he picked up the phone and said he was still at home. He had been delayed leaving that morning waiting for a plumber to come to the house. He had not heard anything so I told him I would be home soon and to turn on the TV. He and the plumber both sat and watched together in shock and grief as the towers fell. We were so afraid. Not only we were struggling to absorb the reality of what had happened already, but we had no idea if anything else was coming. The next few hours were somewhat surreal for me. The children's schools had gone into lock down so I knew they were relatively safe in the short run. I also knew there was a good chance we would have to flee at short notice. So I stopped for cash at an ATM and then went to the grocery store to get water bottles and a few other things I thought we might need. The grocery store was eerie...none of the usual elevator music playing. Lights were dimmed and the news was being broadcast over the loudspeakers to alert anyone who had not heard that our immediate area was under attack. People were not panicking...but rather they moved very deliberately through their tasks. They reached out to one another and prepared themselves. And they prayed. A lot. Suddenly perfect strangers seemed like your brothers and sisters. We became fellow Americans in a way I have never experienced before. We finally managed to gather our family and we began to try to understand what had happened together and to grieve. We were some of the lucky ones. Fortunately none of our family and friends were killed that day although we knew many who had near misses. And so many who were in pain from their own losses. For weeks there was the constant roar of helicopters overhead. And the dull ache of a country trying to comprehend that the impossible had actually happened. We were not as safe as we had believed ourselves to be. But from the depths of this terrible tragedy some beautiful things emerged. People volunteered to serve their communities. They gave of their substance to ease the pain of those who were suffering. Neighbors connected personally with each other when once they had only waved hello from the porch. We held candlelight vigils and shared our spirits with one another. Flags were flown and national pride was kindled from a mere spark into a burning flame. Many pulled dusty Bibles down from the shelf and turned back to God. Families hugged each other a little tighter and appreciated one another more acutely. Out of the fear and pain came a courage and strength rarely witnessed. Our country would not be beaten. We would prevail. We knew we would and we were proud to be Americans. Since that day many lives have been lost by brave men and women who pledged their lives to defend this great nation. I am thankful this day for those who so willingly and selflessly serve in our armed forces. We must never forget that freedom is not free, and that many have paid the ultimate price so that the rest of us can sleep more soundly at night. I am grateful for them and for their families who sacrifice so much as well. No matter what our political views may be about the wars we are engaged in today, we should all have great respect and reverence for our soldiers. They are heroes and I honor them.
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