11 Sep Remembering 9/11
There are a few events that happen in a person’s life that are so significant that time seems to stop. Every detail of the moment is forever burned into our brains so that we can remember what outfit we had on, what the adrenaline rush felt like going through our systems, even the taste of the gum in our mouths. For me, there are two.
I was sitting in my 7th grade math class when the announcement came over the speaker that President Reagan had been shot. I remember it like it was yesterday… yet it was 40 years ago. I was wearing my red and white Bobby Brooks top with ties on the shoulders and remember that my gum, so sweet only a moment before, suddenly tasted like wax. We spent the rest of the day in the library watching the newscast. Even we teenagers were glued to the coverage knowing that this was a monumental event. It was the afternoon, but when the bell rang to end the school day, we were so engrossed that teachers had to shoo us away from the TVs and out of the building.
I was on the top of our climbing wall at camp sending 9th graders off the zipline when airplanes flew into the World Trade Center on 9/11. I remember it like it was yesterday… yet it was 20 years ago. I was wearing my favorite khaki shorts and remember that a strand of hair kept blowing into my eye. While we were unable to watch any newscasts this time because we had the responsibility of students on property, we were able to catch occasional details and it was unfathomable that this could have happened. To us. In America.
I’m not entirely sure what the last 20, or even 40, years have taught us. There are times I feel we’ve made progress and times that I feel we’ve taken steps back. I was not directly involved with either of those momentous events… I did not personally know anyone who perished. I grieved for those who did. I grieved for our nation. I grieved for innocence lost. Through it all, however, I have felt blessed. I have a family that I love and love me in return. I have friends that stand by me through thick and thin, and I them. I am cherished by a God who is bigger than I can possibly imagine.
These events remind me – remind us – how fleeting and precious life is. Take this day to hug your family and friends close. Tell the people you love what they mean to you. Forgive those who you feel have wronged you. Ask for forgiveness from those you have wronged. Smile at a stranger. Breathe in the joy of life and savor it’s sweetness… for nothing tastes better
– Deborah Guinn
Executive Director
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