Remembering

I had my History students interview a parent, other family member, or friend about their remembrances of September 11, 2001. The questions were simple and most of the answers were brief. I hope it gave my students a sense of what we felt on that horrible day 10 years ago.

It was a day like all others at FBS. We were having class. A parent called and asked us to pray because a plane had it one of the twin towers. We were unsure of what that meant and we were not going to tell our students anything until we had more information. Mrs. Hadley got on the internet and printed off a news bulletin--copies of which I still have. It simply said a plane had hit the north tower and there was smoke. A few minutes later we got more information and knew that our nation was under attack. At that point, we gently informed our older students and we all prayed.

My thoughts ran in many different directions. I thought of my sister Denise who had retired from the USAF in 1999. I wondered if she would be called back to active service. I thought of my brother Tim who was celebrating his birthday. I thought of my youngest daughter who was in the panhandle attending college. I thought of other family members who were working or going to school somewhere. What I wanted most was to 'circle the wagons' and draw them all close. I knew no one who had lost their life or the life of a relative or friend and yet I felt a profound sense of loss. One of my student's reports alluded to the attack on Pearl Harbor. How true! Our country was directly attacked and the only thing we could do was sit helplessly and watch it happen--just as our families did in 1941.

A lot has happened in the last 10 years. I don't know where we are going in the next 10 years but I do know this: We must pray for our country. We must pray for our leaders--whether we agree with them or not. We must respect our fellow Americans without regard to race or religion. We must lift each other up. We must seek God's face. And we must celebrate the fact that we live in the greatest nation on the face of this earth!

God bless the U.S.A. And God bless each of you.