I can't believe it has been 5 years since 9/11. I remember that day so clearly and I guess it will be one of those days that will stay with all of us. I remember watching the news in the morning - before the 2nd plane hit, we were so naive about what was happening. We were sad for the people on the plane- thinking it was a small plane, wondering how they could have steered so wrong that they crashed into a building...then we watched it as it happened, the 2nd plane 20 minutes later... I remember Dave and I still driving to work... in shock. Confused. Scared. I remember hearing about the school nearby and waiting by the radio anxiously. I remember crying and hugging my coworkers when we found out that all the children had been evacuated safely. I remember the phone lines to the East Coast being jammed. I remember the look on my friend's faces that had family back East and couldn't get through to them.
9/11 was 3 days before my wedding. I remember the girls taking me out to lunch for a bridal shower and all of us just kind of sitting there, stunned. It felt weird and wrong to be sitting at a restaurant opening presents when so much chaos and carnage was happening on the other side of America. I remember my dear friend DeAnn breaking down and telling me how sorry she was that this was happening right before I was to be wed. I remember thinking right then that maybe we should call off the wedding.

In those first days we couldn't keep our eyes of the TV. I had to see it, like I was duty bound to learn everything I could. I felt so powerless and it hurt to watch such sorrow, but I couldn't look away. Even our contributions to the Red Cross seemed like nothing. I felt like I had to memorize all the faces of the heroes that died- like I had to connect with them and greive for them as if they were my family.

But I also remember becoming more of a patriot than I ever was. I was a Navy Brat, I was raised to always have pride for our great nation, our great military, respect for our flag and all that it stood for. But 9/11 change me, made me fiercly proud and protective over America. I learned then to NEVER take this country for granted. I remember seeing those firefighters raising the flag in the mountain of rubble and crying. It was the most beautiful sight.