Where were you when the world stopped turning?

Over the past few weeks, as the TV has been filled with tributes and memorials for 9/11, my children have been filled with questions and I have struggled to find the words to help them understand something that I’m not sure any of us will really understand. As I reflected on the events of that day, I watched several video tributes and this was the one that I liked the most. I think the song and the images do a great job of pulling together the events of that day.

For me, I remember that morning started out as a “perfect” morning. I was living in Washington at the time and so fall and the cooler temperatures were already kicking in. I had gotten up early and had an awesome work-out. Because of that, I had to rush when I got home to get ready for work and didn’t have time to turn the news on the way I normally did in the mornings. On the way to work, in an effort to maintain my adrenaline high, I had cranked up the stereo in my car with one of my favorite CDs and I was singing along, so no radio or news.

Then, my cell phone started ringing. It was the guy I was dating at the time and I remember thinking it was such a pleasant surprise and just a continuation of that “perfect” morning that he would be calling me so early. I smiled as I answered the phone, but that changed quickly as he asked if I had seen the news and quickly filled me in on the morning’s events. I quickly turned on the radio.

I was working in a middle school at the time as a school psychologist, and when I got there, they already had a TV on in the conference room across the hall from my office. As I watched the images play over and over again, I stood there in disbelief. It looked like something out of a movie and I couldn’t believe that something like that could happen here. The middle school years are rough ones, and I spent the day attempting to comfort, reassure, and console emotional middle schoolers even though I couldn’t seem to find the words myself.

A National Day of Prayer was held a few days later and I remember feeling comfort and gratitude that our nation was coming together in prayer following this great loss. I was so grateful to be able to sneak away from work for a brief period to go to a local meetinghouse to gather with friends and strangers to attempt to find some sense of comfort and understanding following such an awful event.

For those who lost friends and family on 9/11/2001, my heart goes out to you today. For all of us, may this be a reminder that every day is precious.