I will never forget...

Today on the 5 year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, I look back and remember...

~I remember sitting in the office and hearing Skip come running in shouting at the top of his lungs to turn on the TV or the radio, the world trade center was just attacked
~I remember Janet trying to get her TV to work well enough so we could watch in horror along with the rest of the country... and the world
~I remember being stunned to tears and silence as we saw the Pentagon get hit
~I remember hearing about the flight that went down in PA that had been headed for the White House because the passengers decided that if they were going to die then they were going to die fighting
~I remember the first time I heard the words "Let's roll..." right before those same passengers brought the plane down
~I remember instant messaging Sonia, Kimberly, Cari, and others as we all talked about what happened and how Kimberly gave us the NY perspective on what happening
~I remember frantically calling everyone in my family I could reach as we shared tears over the dreadful tragedy
~I remember Tommy being scared to death because Dad was going on a business trip to Europe and Tommy thought he had left that day (Dad was actually supposed to fly the very next day which of course, didn't happen)
~I remember trying like mad to get a hold of Dad, and unable to get through on the line because I had heard that the skyscrapers in downtown Pittsburgh had been evacuated (one of those buildings was where Dad worked and I was afraid of what that meant happened)
~I remember Sonia being stranded in Maine with a friend, unable to get home since her home airport was where two of the flights originated
~I remember just the day before this all happened being excited about a trip to Atlantic City on the coming weekend to meet Sonia, Kimberly, and Cari in person for the first time
~I also remember our conversations on the phone as we made the decision for our trip to take a backseat to post-9/11 happenings
~I remember President Bush coming on the air to tell the world what had happened and what he was going to do about it
~I remember Susan being hysterical because one of her closest friends worked in the World Trade Center and she was unable to reach her (her friend was one of the fortunate ones who got out safely)
~I remember watching the footage over and over again on every channel on TV and seeing those people jumping out the windows
~I remember the look on Janet's face when she learned some of her friends who worked in the Pentagon were missing and presumed dead
~I remember the brave firemen and police officers going in to try and save who they could... and most of them losing their lives in the process
~I remember seeing Mayor Giuliani breaking down on TV over what had happened
~I remember being unable to sleep that night because I couldn't get those images of horror out of my mind

I remember the positive too though
~I remember Mayor Giuliani also reaching through his grief to do some amazing things to get as much help as was possible to try and find survivors in the wreckage
~I remember our entire country coming together across race, religion, political parties and more to share grief, and provide comfort to complete strangers
~I remember so many of my friends and coworkers stepping up to assist wherever the could
~I remember the first time I saw images of the memorial beacons of light where the World Trade center once stood and the tears as a result of the powerful photo
~I remember our brave soldiers going off to do their duty and stand up for what our country believes in
~I remember those fireman who in the middle of the wreckage, hoisted the flag to say that no matter what, we will prevail
~I remember every single store being completely sold out of American Flags
~I remember seeing almost every house in our neighborhoods proudly waving the red, white and blue
~I remember when Mom found me the flag to hang on my car window and the fact I never took that flag down for at least a year


I remember how even now, 5 years later, though much still remains to be done, we have made great strides to rebuild, re-evaluate, reinforce our love and support for those who lost loved ones

I remember that though some of the soldiers fighting may not agree with the steps taken in the war, they stand proud and take them anyhow, performing their duty for the love of the USA and everything it means to us and to the world

I remember that even though many people may not agree with what our President has done since then in the War on Terror, I have no doubts that he is doing what he feels is right and needed

I remember that the US of A will come out stronger in the end

I will never forget...

GOD BLESS AMERICA! WE WILL ALWAYS RISE ABOVE THE HORRORS AND WE WILL ALWAYS PREVAIL