9/11 - A Day Never To Be Forgotten

Dear Grandma,

I remember wondering as a kid if my generation would have a 'Pearl Harbor' in our time.  A significant event that we would never forget, always remember where we were when it happened, and think of on every anniversary.  September 11, 2001 is that event. Where was I when it happened?  At the salon, just starting my day.  I remember a state trooper came in for his monthly haircut and asked me what was going on, he'd heard a short clip of it on the news.  That was all I had heard, too, listening to the local radio station and them telling that a plane had hit the tower.  At that time we had no idea it was a terrorist attack or that a second plane was about to hit the second tower, a third plane was going to hit the Pentagon or that a fourth plane was filled with heroes who were trying to overtake the hijackers and crashed their plane in a field.  As the day wore on the news came in.  All I wanted was to get to a television so I could see what was going on.  I remember going to another salon after work that night and everyone talking about how you'd better fill your car up with gas because there was going to be a gas shortage, something that never did happen. 

Every year on the anniversary I think of those who died, but this year, being the 10th anniversary, is weighing more heavily on my mind.  Every news and talk show are doing features on the anniversary and telling their stories about where they were, or how they covered the story.  It's so hard to watch again, and I can't imagine being a survivor or a widow or a parent-less child having to re-watch the horrors.  It's hard to get away from it this year.  This is an event that will be with our country forever and ever and we should not forget it or what it meant for our country -- our sense of safety was taken away, our freedom was challenged.  Because of this event so many of our servicemen and women have lost their lives in the war that followed, which has left that many more widows and parent-less children.  It breaks my heart. 

I will never forget.

Praying for our country,
Erin