We remember

Ten years ago today our world was forever changed. For the past week, the media has inundated us with footage from that day, and stories of the victims and the families they left behind. Many of us can't remember what we ate for lunch yesterday, but we all know exactly where we were that fateful morning. I had just dropped my oldest at his first day of pre-school. I came home to a phone call from my husband, telling me to turn on the television. As I watched the events unfold with my one year old daughter sleeping next to me, I remember feeling a sense of panic and helplessness that I'd never felt before. I looked up at the beautiful, clear sky and couldn't comprehend how something so sinister was happening only 20 miles away.

As a mother, I thought immediately of going right back to that school and getting my son. I also felt that I needed to buy a lot of milk. My husband convinced me to leave the boy in school so I didn't frighten him, but I did buy about 7 gallons of milk. Much like when we prepare for a snowstorm or hurricane, I felt the need to stock up on necessities. I didn't know what would happen next, and I was scared.

Remember how eerie it felt to not hear any planes for several days? Remember how scary it was to hear them again when they resumed flying? For weeks, the sound of a plane made me cringe.

Of course, the horrific stories and images were countered by heroic ones. People stepped up, helped out in countless ways, and came together in the face of tragedy. Lines between races and religions were blurred, and we became united as Americans. Parents hugged their children tighter, wives and husbands counted their blessings, we all stopped sweating the small stuff, and truly understood what was important in our lives. The world became a better place--for a little while, anyway.

Because we are human, we eventually got back to our daily routines-we started honking our horns again, and cutting people off. We complained when the toilet seat was left up, and got annoyed with the slow cashier at the store. We lost that incredible feeling of unity that surfaced when our wounds were fresh.

I have heard some people complain that the 9-11 coverage is overkill. It is too depressing, and too much to see again. I don't know how the families of the victims feel about that, but I'm sure their feelings on the subject vary from person to person. I can only tell you how I felt as I watched a documentary the other night with the pre-schooler I dropped off that historic morning. He is now 14, and it was a school assignment. To say it was upsetting is an understatement. All of my kids were watching, and they were shocked and frightened by what they saw. How many times have your kids watched a scary show, and you have said, "Don't worry, that's make-believe," or "That can't really happen."? The younger one looked at me, and I knew he wanted me to say it. I felt helpless as a parent at that moment. I had never forgotten what happened that day, but I forgot how it made me feel. The feelings of dread and terror came rushing back all at once.

Perhaps if we all remember the feelings we had, not just the event itself, we could get back to a place where we felt that unity again. We shouldn't need a tragedy to be kind to a stranger, to help out someone in need, or be a better person. In honor of everyone who lost their life or lost a loved one that day, I'm asking you to join me in taking a moment to remember the feeling, and think about what is truly important in your life.

God Bless America