September 11 remembered
September is a month that I embrace. I wait, with everyone else, as the season begins to change and the temperatures drop. I love the crisp fall air and the smell of pumpkin spice and apple cider. The trees whose leaves were once full and luscious in the summer, slowly begin to lose them one by one. All of these things bring back memories of when I would walk down the dirt driveway to catch the school bus with my dog Higgins by my side. But one day in this beautiful month I will never forget - September 11, 2001. I will never forget how I felt that morning, how beautiful that morning was, and how sad I felt as the day progressed.
My daughter, Emily was just five years old in 2001. She attended kindergarten at St. Joseph Catholic School in Florence, AL. We lived in Center Star, about 20 minutes from the school, but with morning traffic it took about 30 minutes. Most mornings were a rush to get there on time, but on September 11, 2001, we were not rushing. I can remember the most distinct and minuscule things like putting her in her car seat as she sang a little song she had made up. I remember having plenty of time to pull into McDonald’s to get a cup of coffee to carry to work. I distinctly remember how clear and beautiful the sky was that morning. It was so clear and beautiful that I mention it to Emily as we pulled up to red light at one of the intersections. Looking back now, I’m sure I honed in on these small memories because I realized how lucky I was to have them at the end of that day.
I pulled into line to drop Emily off for school. Her teacher, Mrs. Jane Bernauer, always greeted every student with a big smile and hello as she helped them out of the car. After she closed the door as usual I slowly drove off and turned on the radio to listen to a few tunes and catch some local news before work. I listened to the local Christian radio station, WFIX. Mark and Michelle Pyle were doing their morning show but mentioned that a plane had hit one of the Twin Towers in New York City and that smoke was bellowing out of the tower. At the time they didn’t know it was a commercial jet but Mark kept listeners updated. I got to the office a few minutes later, coffee in hand, not knowing how the day would take such a turn. I flipped on the radio in the office per usual still under the impression the plane flying into the tower was a commercial flight accident. It was still a shock, but nothing in comparison to what was really happening. Unbeknownst to me, that day marked the beginning of the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil killing nearly 3,000 people in a matter of one hour.
As I began working, the announcement was made that a second plane hit the second tower and that was when I knew something was off. In the aftermath of the day, I couldn’t help but be haunted by the thought that every person in the tower had started their day like me. Getting up, sipping coffee, kissing their children goodbye, and admiring the beautiful day as they went to work. It started out as a beautiful morning but turned into one of the most frightful and emotional mornings I experienced in my life.
September will always be a beautiful month that I look forward to every year. It will also forever be the horrendous act that killed so many innocent Americans. It’s a reminder to me every year that I should count every day as a blessing, and never take a moment for granted. We will never forget.