I wasn't here on my front porch early on the evening of September 10, 2001. Perhaps the Peace roses were blooming and the moon shining above the house, I can't recall. Perhaps it was a fair night, cooling off somewhat after still hot days, typical here in the South at this rather lovely time of year. Suspended between the torrid afternoons of Summer and the soon to be crisp mornings of Autumn, September can be almost perfect.
I flew into Raleigh very late on that quiet night with Bob and granddaughter Jasmin. We had enjoyed a visit to Florida with several days at Disney World, that perfect world of vibrant colors, smiling faces, kindness, and make believe. We fell into our beds, exhausted but happy after such a wonderful trip.
While getting Jasmin ready for pre-school the following morning of September 11, the phone rang. Our son told us to turn on the TV but not to let little Jasmin view it.....................the picture appeared just as the second plane hit the second tower of the World Trade Center.
The rest of this story doesn't have to be told here. It is a memory we each share. It is a day we will never erase from our memories. We will never forget.
It was one of the scariest and saddest days of my life. I will never forget!
ReplyDeleteI guess it is one of those days everyone remembers exactly where they were and what they were doing when the news reached them, same as with Princess Diana's death or J. F. Kennedy's.
ReplyDeleteIt would be a huge improvement on mankind never to see a similar event again, but I have become less optimistic about that over the past 10 years or so.
We all remember where we were on that day. Our son was home from University and we had just got in from food shopping.... my husband was at work. We watched it all unfold and saw things that they never showed again. There are no words. Your Peace rose is a beautiful reminder of the importance to remember that day. XXXC
ReplyDeleteI will never forget that day. xoxoxo
ReplyDeleteDearest Mary,
ReplyDeleteFound you at RTC's blog...
Yes, very vividly we recall as husband Pieter wanted to place wooden impregnated poles into the corner of the big pond we have. There was a tree in the soil, that had been pushed over by bulldozer for the purpose of leveling the property. We were living and working in Indonesia at the time and as often happens, they just covered things up with dirt and left it there! Now, with only man power we impossibly could get it out. So a friend who was constructing houses just a mile away, came with his equipment to take it out. Pieter was just checking the news, if rain would be interfering with this job... Then all three of us saw this horror... It shook up the entire world.
We always should remember those many victims.
Life can take an unexpected, very sudden turn!
Glad you enjoyed some great Florida time with Bob and Jasmin; that makes it even stand out more since.
Hugs,
Mariette
PS Feeling proud for just having self published our scientific and practical handbook: modern mushroom growing 2020 harvesting and I did it all in Oxford English. That's what we both studied and since we self published via IngramSpark for worldwide print on demand I found that International English is more widely used than American English... You find my post on August 27, below you can see all.
Our daughter was in the air as planes were being hijacked. In fact she was on her way to Stockholm (from Scotland) so wasn't in danger, but we didn't know this at first. It was a terrible day for America.
ReplyDeleteHow interesting to think of your granddaughter being such a little girl. My grands were not yet born. It was almost the worst day I have ever lived and I know that there are many for whom that is true or worse. Anyone who made it through that day will certainly never forget.
ReplyDeleteYes, the memory is so strong in my mind. It took our breathe away. The Peace rose is a good symbol. On my blog yesterday my word was Peace and I quoted a song I often have running through my head. "Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me"
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