September 11

Can you believe it has been 7 years since the attacks on our country? The boys were to wear red, white and blue today to commemorate the day. I asked Sam and Peter this morning if they knew why they were wearing those colors. Sam said it was Memorial Day. Close. Peter related it to a book we are reading about Mary Slessor, a missionary to Africa. Not really. When we were attacked, Peter was 1 1/2 and Sam had just turned 4. They honestly have no recollection. Ben and Fred were both in school then, Ben in kindergarten and Fred in 3rd grade. It was a gorgeous fall day. I was finally going to make the trek up 95 to Sam's Club. I just couldn't get out of the house that morning. I had Peter and Sam buckled in their car seats and had to go back into the house for the 3rd time. The phone rang. I had Sam and Peter get out of the van. Then I had to call Chris at work. When he answered with "Hi" rather than the usual "Examiner Fulton," I wondered. He told me he was fine, which I was glad to hear, but had no idea why he was telling me this. Then he told me to turn on the T.V. I saw the second plane go into the towers. It was surreal and shocking. We talked for some time. He said that he and some of his co-workers were watching it on T.V. Then I heard that a plane was headed to the Pentagon, across the highway from where Chris works. What a day. He could see the smoke from his office. They were sending everyone home for the day. He and some friends went to the apartment of a co-worker who lived nearby to wait for the traffic to ease some. This was before cell phones--in our family anyway. My trip to Sam's was not to be yet again. I remember spending most of the day on the phone with Chris's family and my family. I weeded the flower beds and the sidewalk out back with the radio next to me. Chris did make it home at about 4. I was so thankful and happy to see him. My older boys came home on the bus around then and had no clue. My neighbor worked at the Pentagon. She was fine. My most vivid memory of that time is that everyone wanted to help. Everyone wanted to make a difference in any way they could. People were eager to be asked to sacrifice and give, especially of their time and energies. It was a huge disappointment when the call was for money rather then man-power. I regret that our country missed out on the opportunity to mobilize its citizens for a cause greater than consumerism or selfishness. I know there were many who did help and go, but for the majority, even here, so close to one of the sites, the call was for money. I understand that. You can only organize and equip so many people, but I wonder what our country would look like today had we taken advantage of that desire to be a part of protecting and preserving our country. Praise God for His protection. May He sustain us and have mercy on us all. Where were you on that day?