In Memory Of...

Today I encourage everyone to say a prayer in memory of all of those that lost their lives on September 11, 2001. And also for all of those they left behind. 9/11 is emotional for me, I can't imagine how those that were directly affected by it must feel.

I always thought it was weird that people in my parent's generation always remembered exactly where they were at the moment they heard that JFK had been shot. I never thought I would have one of those moments, but now unfortunately after 9/11 I do. It was a typical work morning for me and I was sitting at my desk at Health Iowa checking my voicemails and emails and getting everything ready for my day. I noticed that all of a sudden my computer was acting strange and I couldn't get onto the internet. But I just chalked it up to a system malfunction and went on my way. Very shortly after Sarah Hansen rushed into my office and asked me if I had heard. Of course I had no idea and she then told me that a plane had flown into the World Trade Center... of course then the tragedy continued to unfold as the second plane hit the towers and the others went down at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania. I remember immediately worrying about my family and Josh. I couldn't get ahold of Josh, but he called very soon after I left him a voicemail. He had been at Carver working out and was on his way to class. Josh always understood world events better than me and knew by the urgency in his voice when I talked to him that this was huge. I remember in that conversation that he said that if this ended up being a full-out attack on the United States that we were going to get married right away (we were engaged at the time) and try to escape together. I know maybe it sounds kind of dramatic now, but at the time we were seriously worried about what was ahead of us. Having your homeland attacked is not something to be taken lightly. I had to give a presentation that day for work and I remember feeling that it was so unimportant... there was no point in doing something this trivial when a tragedy of this proportion was going on in our country. Of course along with millions of other Americans, I was glued to my TV on that day and in the weeks to follow in disbelief over what I was seeing. I remember being emotional that day and I am still emotional today as I write this. My heart goes out to all of those that died that day and all of those they left behind.