A Day of Remembrance

[cabenson]

What are your thoughts as we remember September 11, 2001?

It's hard to believe that it's "that" time of year again. Three years have passed and my heart has still not fully healed...and I almost hope it never will. No, I didn't lose anyone I knew personally in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the US. But I did lose the chance to meet almost 3000 souls...even more if you count the military and civilian losses we have incurred from the War on Terror.

Those were hard days n the Cabenson household. We even broke our rule of "no TV in the bedroom" in order to follow the stories. I was one of those people that laid in front of the TV for hours, tears in my eyes as I cried for people I never knew...and never would. Ten days later, I finally wrote about it in my journal. I look back on it now and thought I would share it with you.


Dear Journal,

The song lyric "in a New York minute" became the theme for the changes in our country, our whole world in the past ten days. On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, the crisp blue sky of a pre-autumn morning was darkened with the choking smoke of hatred's fire and stained with the innocent blood of countless men, women, and children. At 8:45 on that beautiful morning, two 110 story buildings at the World Trade Center stood tall and proud. Two hours later they would fall to their knees taking the lives of almost 3000 visitors, New Yorkers, humans. More than 300 firefighters, police officers and EMT's lost their lives as they ran into these burning buildings to evacuate those inside. All because of hatred.

As if that were not enough, I was physically shocked as I sat at work, glued to the radio as I heard of the attack on the Pentagon and the crash of Flight 93 in Pennsylvania. When I heard how the passengers, knowing their deaths were imminent, decided to fight back, I never felt such pride in the human race. I don't think I ever will again.

Ten days. Ten days of unending tears, untold loss, unyielding spirit and unrelenting hope. American citizens have united in a way my 35 years have never seen. International support is shown, not only by Heads of State, but by individuals as humbled as the London cabbie who asked an American couple to donate his fare to the relief effort.

Ten days ago, Michael Jordan was considered a hero. Now the title of hero has finally been given to those who truly have earned it-firefighters, police officers, EMT’s, co-workers, bystanders. All true heroes, true human beings. May God bless us all.

When we went to NYC in June, one of the main reasons was to pay our respects to those we lost. Here are some of my memories:

The cross made from beams at Ground Zero...which is now called World Trade Center again.

The sphere from the plaza now a memorial in Battery park

WTC #7...last to fall, first to go back up

Speechless

Comments

[bluepoet.livejournal.com]

sometimes i think about those days, the weeks afterward. i didn't lose anyone close to me, either, but i lost all sense of safety. each night, i put the tv on and laid on the couch until i fell asleep, finally dragging myself to bed somewhere around 1 or 2 am, weary. i was too afraid to fall asleep in silence. each morning, i sat on the floor with my cereal, glued to cnn, buying into the paranoia that the little ticker scrolling across the screen told me about.
now, three years later, i'm working at a college in a chicago neighborhood that has a big muslim population--a big mosque is in the neighborhood. i see a lot of muslim students in the halls each day, and i'm so glad for them and feeling so protective, hoping no one tells them they don't deserve to be there. i hope they know our office is safe for them, for all students, regardless of who they are or what they believe.