This weekend has been an emotional one for me. September 11th is always a difficult day for me to relive, but for some reason, this weekend being the 10 year anniversary has been even more difficult. I think a lot of it has to do with my children and having Adam now old enough to understand what happened that day. I have a book of pictures from September 11th and Adam loves looking at it and asking questions about what happened. It is hard to explain to a 5 year old the impact that day had on my life, my family, and our country. That day changed everything.
Yesterday we went to the Healing Field or Freedom Field. Every year on the anniversary of September 11th, a flag is placed in a large open field for every victim of those horrific events. It is a humbling sight to see. Each flag has a tag with the name and age of each victim and a small paragraph telling something about that person. I wanted Adam and Eric to have the chance to see the flags and learn something about the innocent people and the hero's that were lost that day. Eric was on his mission on 9/11/01. He says it was difficult not knowing what was really going on in our country at that time and not having accurate information to understand the impact it had on us.
As I have reflected on that horrific day over this past week, my heart aches for the innocent people that lost their lives that day. I hurt for the families that lost loved ones, and I am frustrated for those who are alive but still suffer physically, mentally, and emotionally from the events of that day. I pulled out my journal this morning to see what I wrote about September 11, 2001.
I told of the events that occurred and how horrible of a day it had been. I remember that being the longest day I have ever had at work! I just wanted to be home with my family. Before I went to bed that night I wrote,
"I watched the news from 8:30am to 11:00pm. I was so scared this morning cause no one knew what was going on. The country has literally shut down. All the Federal buildings and skyscrapers have been evacuated all over the country. It is amazing when you realize how close you are to losing your freedom, how fast you appreciate it. It has been an indescribable day! President Hinckley held a Memorial Service tonight and the Mo-Tab sang. Grandma Wanlass called freaking out saying how it was just like Pearl Harbor and Grandma Lemley called freaking out about Danny being shipped out. At this point Danny is on standby. We just have to wait to hear if, when, and where he will go. (He later served a tour in Iraq and a tour in Afghanistan.)
I never thought I would live through something like this. We have seen history in the making. I've seen movies where New York or DC get attacked, but the movies are nothing like real life. It's a scary day for our nation, but one that will bring us closer together. This is an amazing country and I have no doubt we will overcome and come back stronger!
Ten years later we still have not forgotten. I am thankful for the brave men and women who serve our country, fighting and giving their lives to keep us free! To my brothers, Danny and Matt and to my Brother-in-law, Jake, and their families, a special thank you! Thank you for your time and service and being willing to leave your families behind to serve your country!
September 11, 2001 will be a day I will never forget and a day that holds a special place in my heart. It is a day that reminds me to be a little kinder, to be more gracious, and to never take my loved ones for granted! I am thankful to know, that no matter what happens, we have a loving Heavenly Father who wants us to be happy and who wants the best for us. Even amid tragedy, there is always hope and thanks to the Atonement of Jesus Christ, healing.
"Great necessities call out our great virtues"
~ Abigail Adams~
God Bless America!
