Sunday, September 10, 2006

I remember that morning, September 11, 2001. Brother was but a toddler, barely a year and a half. We got up and I began to make breakfast for us. Brother usually liked to watch Calliou, but for some reason, wasn't interested that morning. I flipped over to the news to see the first tower smoking while Charlie Gibson described what had happened. Just moments later, before I could even turn away, the second plane hit.

Tonight I watched a documentary about September 11 and the NYFD. I saw footage from a man in the midst of it all when the towers collapsed. I saw a storm of dust and debris and paper. Papers blew up against the lens of his video camera and stuck, flapping in the aftermath. Papers that had been sitting on desks not long before. Papers that belonged somewhere and had seemed so very important to the comings and goings of the day.

Story after story of brave men who plunged deep into the throes of danger. Men who didn't come out. One firefighter said, "You could have told us it was a nuclear bomb that went off. We still would have gone in." They went back in, day after day, sacrificing health, safety and sanity all in very dim hopes of finding someone...anyone.

To those men and their families, I salute you.

We will never forget.

6 comments:

Sarah said...

I watched the same documentary. Can you even believe it? My 10 year-old, who had just started kindergarten when the towers fell, watched and asked lots of questions.

I had the honor of paying tribute to a firefighter who lost his life on 9/11 at my blog.

I hope this reminds us of the price our uniformed officers have paid for our protection. "Thank you" is not enough.

paulmerrill said...

We must count our blessings. Nine-eleven was a shock for us all and remembering should remind us to be glad that nothing that bad has happened since!

Anonymous said...

I watched that show last night with tears streaming down my face, feeling the pain I remember from that very day.
As one of the firefighters said "I wish I could blink and the towers would still be there, and this would have been a bad dream."

Diana said...

that anonymous was me-Diana- I don't know why it says anonymous if I signed in...hmmm...

Mama of 2 said...

I was working that day and actually on line chatting with a friend who was telling me what was happening. I spent days afterwards crying and being in total disbelief. Little Man was only 4 years old and in preschool. I don't know if he understood what was happening but I know that it did have some effect on him.

yerdoingitwrong said...

It was a sad, sad day. We have truly remarkable people in this country. Their courage astounds me every day!