Never Forget

10 years ago I was sitting in my high school chemistry class. The crazy chem teacher from next door came running into our room screaming and crying. I'm pretty sure just about everyone in our class rolled their eyes and thought to themselves that this time she had really lost it! After hearing her scream at us to turn on the TV, my teacher did. What we witnessed would change our lives forever. America was under attack, we would soon be at war, and a sense of underlying fear would become commonplace.

I spent the whole day at school just watching the news. Classes were halted and everyone, teachers and students, were glued to the television. Everyone was in a state of disbelief and shock! How could this happen to us? Why was this happening? In the days and weeks that followed, a new emotion replaced the fear. All of a sudden people seemed nicer to one another, more unified. Our school designed a t-shirt to raise money for those affected by the attacks. (I still have mine to this day and I absolutely love it!) Being an American meant something more than just being a privileged person, we were all proud of ourselves and country again!

And now 10 years later, I remember. I can still recall the fear I had in my heart as I watched the police and firefighters run into the buildings to help others, knowing they were risking their lives. I remember breathing a sigh of relief that my dad was no longer an active duty cop. And even if he had been, I was thankful for being in Kansas and not New York. I remember the tears on my teachers' faces and the gut wrenching emotion of a girl in my seminar class who had family in the towers. It's hard to wrap my head around the fact that it has been ten years, because all of these memories are still as clear as day. I know that losing a loved one is not something you get over, it's something you get used to. So my thoughts and prayers are with all the families and friends who lost someone on that day. They live with the loss each and every day of their lives, so I think we can spare a few moments of our time to remember and mourn with them today!