I couldn’t let this day pass without posting something about today. We all remember where we were on this day 11 years ago. I was a newlywed living in Germany. It was the afternoon over there when the attacks happened. I had just dropped my parents off at the airport. They were flying back home to DC after a wonderful 2 week visit. I clearly remember how beautiful that day was. Blue skies and a slight September chill. As I drove back home from the airport, I saw children and their parents walking to the school bus. For whatever reason that scene touched me. Maybe, I was just in a sentimental mood because, I had just said goodbye to my parents. Regardless of the reason, it gave me a warm and fuzzy that I carried all the way home.
When I came home I turned on CNN international (it was the only English-speaking channel we had because we lived off post, so it was on a lot in our home) and I saw that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. Like everyone else, I thought it was a freak accident. I tried to call my husband at work to comment on the situation, but he was in a meeting. I ended up calling a good friend of mine from graduate school who also happened to move to Germany after graduation. We saw the horror unfold over the phone together. When we saw the plane hit the second tower, it was evident we were under attack. It was at that moment that I came to the awful realization that our lives and way of life was going to be very different. I was worried for my friends that lived in NYC and family and friends in DC. I was also very worried about my parents who were in the air (who eventually returned to Germany and stayed for another week, because of the closed airspace). Thankfully, all our loved ones were ok. My husband didn’t come home until late that night, because the post went on lock down. Once he was home I gave him a big hug and just cried.
To those that lost their lives we remember you
To those that survived we support you
To those that helped we honor you
To those that work everyday to keep us safe we thank you
Let’s never forget.
Ordinary Life is Extraordinary 