i remember.

i was 12. my dad woke me up in a rush and told me to come down stairs. something was going on and i needed to come see. i didn’t really grasp the full extent of what exactly was happening. i knew it wasn’t good. at the time, only one plane had flown into the world trade center. i was hypnotized by the display on the screen. was this an accident? speculations were already being made that it was an attack. an ATTACK. even now that word is so strong. it filled me with dread and apprehension. what was going to happen next? i was still glued to the tv when i saw it. there was a second plane heading straight toward the world trade center. WHAT?! were they just showing a recap? NO. we were hit again. all i could think of was that this could not be real. i was scared.

all sense of peace left me that day. i was so afraid what was going to happen next. i remember reading what i had written in my diary. i prayed and prayed and prayed. i knew this meant war. i just didn’t know what it would mean for us.

i remember the coverage they showed on tv all week of the attacks. yeah, not only had the attacked us in NY, they also hit the pentagon, and pennsylvania. that’s when it really hurt me. there was a face to this hurt. i saw so many families and loved ones who were affected by it. a dad who was on the plane who would never see his wife and kids again. a mother working in the trade center. a daughter who would never return home. these images haunted me. one that literally made me sob, was the man captured jumping out of the towers. he had no other choice. he knew he was going to die, so he jumped to end his torture.

it broke my heart. all of these people, who had so much more life to live, their lives were cut short. even now, when i think back on that day, my heart is heavy. even when the commercials come on the tv about that day, my eyes well up. it truly affected everyone.

even in the midst of sadness and hurt, God made something beautiful happen. our country stood together. we, the united states of america, stood as one. people were more of a community and it was so comforting. for that time in my life, i remember things being different. we weren’t against each other, we were ONE. united we stood. it’s sad that it took such a devastating tragedy to join us. but through the ashes, our country rose. it was beautiful.

when i think about what happened 11 years ago on this day, it still haunts me. but out of sorrow comes joy. i pray that we all remember this day and truly reflect on how it brought us to where we are now. i pray we forget about the meaningless trials we go through and hatred we show others. i pray we stand together and accept each other, because at the end of the day does any of that really matter? life is too short. who cares about politics and getting mad at each other over the elections? if we all set mediocre things like that aside, we would be much better off. i pray we remember what and who is important. life is too short.

spend the day with your loved ones and cherish these times. say a prayer for those affected by 9/11. we are ONE and we need to stand together.

God bless all the heroes and their families!

♥  ♥  ♥

this has always been one of my favorite images. out of the ashes we rise.