It seems completely selfish, but I can honestly say that I am glad September 11 only comes once a year. I am blessed that I did not have any family or anyone close to me who was involved in this tragedy. So I am very far removed from it, and perhaps it is selfish of me to say I'm glad it only comes once a year. Because so many out there lost loved onces and September 11 is not only a date permanently etched on their hearts, but it is something that they think about every single day.
I say that I am glad it's only once a year, because it's overwhelming. The images alone are heartbreaking and make me just want to break down and weep. After 7 years, it is still so fresh & still so hard to believe that this actually happened...I see the faces covered in ash, the running firefighters and the towers collapse - and it's as if I'm watching it occur for the first time.
I remember that day so vividly. Erin Carriere was finally back at WMU after Kristin's death (a tragedy in & of itself that took place only 22 days earlier) and I was to pick her up & take her to campus that day for class. I logged onto AOL that morning as I did every morning when I woke up, to the picture of one of the towers ablaze. I immediately turned the TV on and so began the day. At first, I don't think the immensity (is that a word??) of the situation hit me. I didn't realize the scope of the tragedy that had occured - the loss of human lives. I was living at the time with a friend in an apartment in Kalamazoo and as I got into the shower I told her "tell me if the planes come this way - I want to at least be dressed!" I'm ashamed to say that is what i was thinking, but again, I didn't know. As I left later to go to class, I think the 2nd plane had already hit, and Autumn yelled out the door, "there's been an explosion at the Pentagon!"
I went to class & while in this 50 minute Spanish class, the annoucement was made that the University was closing at noon. Walking out of the class and into the fountain in front of Miller, it was so quiet. In hindsight, it's like that was the moment that the world as a whole did not feel safe anymore. I eventually headed back to Davison for the day, stopped to visit at Funshine (my former POE - a daycare) and then went to church to light a candle.
The events of 9/11 were on the TV for days - I was glued to the TV just like most of America was. Even now, it seems like it wasn't that long ago that I was sitting at my apartment on the futon, watching the news to see the latest developments. Nor does it seem that long ago that whenever I would see a plane in the sky, I would panic.
It is now 7 years later, the wounds have healed, Ground Zero has been cleared. But there are the memories of where we were that day, that will always be with us. And as cliche as it sounds, we will indeed never forget.
*For those of you interested in the song playing, it's by Selah, this amazing Christian group. Now, I will be the first to admit that Amy Grant was about as far as I went on the Christian music side for the majority of my life. But, thanks to Angie, my eyes have been opened to Selah and I am so glad that they have been...the vocal talents alone are amazing. And to be quite honest, I would much rather sing the praises of Jesus via Selah, than with Kanye and "Jesus Walks."
Call it growing up.
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