A look back at 9/11

The Day America Cried

Mornings are for waking up happy, going on with your business, and enjoying life. After all, the weekend is over; it's the beginning of a beautiful new day given to you by the Lord. But the morning of September 11, 2001 wasn't to be one of those mornings that were so simple. Nothing could have prepared us for the tragedy of the morning. If someone had said to me, the World Trade Center will be bombed today, I would have said you have to be kidding! And, I would have meant it. This is the land of freedoms - a family sometimes divided, but together in times of trials. Things like that just do not happen in our country. But, today would change my thought pattern - it does happen, and it did happen!

I was sleeping a little later that morning and my husband came in and told me that my daughter was on the phone. He also said, come in the computer room - the World Trade Center is on fire. I don't think that he actually knew it was a plane that had hit it at the time, or perhaps he did. My memory of that morning is like a haze. We sat there and looked in horror. Our fears were found to be true - it wasn't an accident. Another plane hit the south tower right before our eyes.

I look back now and realize, at the moment of the second plane hit on that tower, and the aftermath of the explosion, that we knew it was terrorism, but we didn't know who would have wanted to strike beautiful America, and right in the heart of downtown Manhattan. After all, these were buildings with multiple tenants from all over the world. Everyone was affected, not just America. Thousands of workers, and hundreds of rescue workers and policemen were lost, without a reason! The enemy came to our country, took our own planes, and unsuspecting people, and used them as bombs against us.

As we watched the men and women come out of that building, run down the streets, or being helped by others, we were horrified. Our hearts went out to them - tears stung our eyes. We didn't know any of them by person, but felt for them - the things that they had to undergo and the time it will take to heal. Our hearts went out to the many families that lost loved ones, and never will be able to put closure on that part of their lives, having no body to bury. The very thought made me angry. Like others, I suppose I would have gone after the person/persons responsible, if it were possible. Sure, the terrorists that did the acts were dead, but someone had set this act up, and someone will pay.

America's heartland has been scarred, and we cried tears. But, if the enemy thought that he would tear out our hearts, he has another thought coming. As someone said on television, we are family. Families bicker amongst themselves, but when attacked, families stick together. America is united more in Spirit and cause than I have ever seen in my lifetime. We will go after those responsible and AMERICA WILL RISE AGAIN!

©Barbara Sanders, September 16, 2001. All rights reserved.

Taken from Speak to My Heart Inspirational Stories