I was 12 years old. Tuesday morning September 11th 2001. I remember my mom coming into my room, waking me up saying - somethings happened. I had NO idea what I would see when I went downstairs, and when I saw the huge clouds of black smoke coming out of the World Trade Center towers on the news I still had NO idea what was happening. Mom was on the phone with Dad, they were saying America had been attacked, but I still thought or wanted to think it had been an accident. I think 2 of my siblings were at work and the other 3 were at home sitting in front of the TV with me. I was in my pj's, still half asleep, feeling so confused. I felt frustrated that I didn't understand. I felt scared, that maybe we'd be attacked also. Every time I heard an airplane I froze. As a 12 year old who knew nothing about the world, about politics, about terrorism, the World Trade Center, or the Pentagon, etc. all I could see was that everyone was sad, many angry, people were dying... As the day went on everything continued to get worse.. a plane hit the Pentagon, a plane went down in a field in Pennsylvania. All the planes in the US were grounded, no one knew if something else was going to happen... I don't remember seeing the Twin Towers fall. My mom took my siblings and I and we all went to a friend's house. Their Dad sat down with us and I think tried to explain some of what was happening. He prayed with us. When I got home I remember one of my friend's calling saying she was at school when it happened, we tried to make sense of what everyone was saying. The next night at church we all sat around praying, for the victims and their families, for the firefighters & police officers, for President Bush & other leaders, for all the survivors, those still missing.
I'm pretty sure that it was because of the events that day, and the war that followed, that my older brother decided to join the US military. When I was 16 he went off to Marine bootcamp. For 6 long years he served our country, he fought for our freedoms. He sacrificed, and so did our family. He lived in Iraq and Afghanistan for months at a time. Every day he was gone we prayed for him, and begged the Lord to bring him home safely. Sometimes it'd be from watching the news, or just a word someone said and I'd break down crying, terrified I'd never see him again. God held us through all of that. He held Kyle. For a specific reason He saved his life, He brought him home, to us. Not a day goes by that I'm not thankful for this. My heart is broken for the families who never got to see their loved one again. I'm forever grateful for our military-"all gave some, some gave all." It's only been 1 year since Kyle came home, I still pray for him, once a Marine always a Marine. I'm proud of him. He took action when he could have done nothing.
So every year on this day I'm reminded of 2001 and the years that have followed. I've taken to watching a documentary every year, or reading someones story, because as painful as it is to remember, to relive it, I feel it's only right. I can't become numb to people's pain, I can't forget. In the past 11 years I've grown up a little, I understand a little more about what happened, I've seen and been apart of the affects on our nation. I've traveled many times and any time you fly it's another reminder. Walking through airports and going through security after security point... Being in a plane in the air, I often have to pray for the Lord to remind me He's in control, sometimes I picture what people must have gone through and I'm tempted to live in fear. We should remind ourselves of the horrific tragedies of this life, we should remind each other that life is short, we don't know when it's over for us, or someone we love. We need to cherish our loved ones, the people around us, and make the most of each day. Yes sin came into the world and evil is present, but God is still God, He is still on His throne, and because of sin, He sent, He gave, His only Son... For us, that we might live, now and eternally.
It's strange to think that often the children I care for were not even alive then. To them it's just a part of history, or something they'll read about in years to come. Many events I've read of in my history books, but this, this is a part of my history...
To all the victims, to all the heroes; I remember 9/11.
<3, Rissa
