One final thought comes clear to me / For what must live in infamy / Absolutely – We’ll Remember / The Eleventh – Of September
Written by Roger J. Robicheau ©2002
This day always makes me feel pensive.
I know that you might be thinking, “What does she know? She must’ve been just a kid then.” You’d be right, but it affected my life just the same.
I was in second grade, and it was a school day. Things got a little weird that morning. I remember the adults seeming off. I’m pretty sure we got out early, but I’m not 100% sure… the exact timeline of the day is a little foggy. What I do know, though, is that when I walked into the house, I immediately knew something was not right. September 11 is my dad’s birthday. It did not feel like a birthday at all. I remember seeing his outline sitting on the edge of the coffee table as he does often, eyes glued to the TV screen.
That image of my dad is plastered in my mind at this time of year.
No matter how old someone was on September 11, 2001, I can almost guarantee you they felt its effects. It was a tragic day. Innocent people lost their lives. First responders and brave bystanders ran IN to the chaos to help and never came back out. Military men and women were launched into an offensive, and some never came home (whether physically or mentally). Families lost members, and some desperately waited by the phone, hoping for some indication that their loved one was okay. Everyone who knew the implications of the events of that day had the victims and their families in their hearts. The thought of all the loved ones waiting with baited breath brings me to tears even as I write this.
I definitely didn’t fully understand what happened that day as it was happening. I knew something was wrong. I knew everyone was sad and scared. Being the empathetic person I am, I could feel all those things along with them. But now, as an adult, I feel them as strongly as if it were today.
Our freedom was jeopardized that day. Our sense of security in the United States disappeared. Poof. Gone. It had been almost 60 years since the last attack on us. It is truly something that will forever be remembered. And how could it not be? The causes of the events of that day are still affecting the lives of our military and their loved ones. The effects of losing someone never subside, so for anyone who did that day, 9/11 is a reminder of that pain.
I remember knowing that this was a day that was changing lives.
However, I also remember the days that followed. Despite the horrors of that day, we still found a way to be even more patriotic. The U.S. probably hadn’t been that unified since December 7, 1941. Through the pain, we came together as a country. We were proud to be Americans, and we were ready to tell the world that they were done messing with us. “Proud to Be an American” by Lee Greenwood still represents the aftermath of 9/11 for me. It felt like even though one of the worst things that could happen just did, people were supporting and loving each other. If only it didn’t take such a tragedy for that to occur.
So tomorrow, if you’re feeling pensive like me, don’t try to stop. Remember. Feel all the feelings. Then use them to be a better citizen of your community, your state, your country, and the world. The people that were lost that day and the people enveloped in the ripple effect of their deaths deserve something good to come from September 11.
oh the places you'll go 