Friday, September 16, 2011

Sunday I sat in the livingroom glued to the TV shows about 9-11. Suddenly, at about 11am, I grabbed my journal dated Tuesday, September 11, 2001 and asked Krista, Jake and Krista's two friends to join me in a circle for a couple minutes. I asked them to hold hands. Shoulder to shoulder, we sat on goose down blankets and I began to read out loud. “Tuesday, September 11, 2001.” They all looked at me, perplexed, wondering what this odd woman was doing interrupting the movie they were trying to finish. I continued…”Today, two planes were purposely crashed into the World Trade Towers…” Anna began to form tears in her eyes and Krista had a thoughtful crooked, face. Brittney looked like a deer in the headlights and Jake, well, he just soaked it in. He was exactly two when we were attacked. Krista remembers that her grade school TV’s were on and teachers left kids alone in rooms to gather around the TV in the cafeteria. Teachers left no explanation. I started crying, right there in front of all four children. Sobbing really. I did not care that they saw me weak. I did not care that they saw me crumble for a moment. I composed myself and contined reading my account, in my own words, of what happened that day. Then, the kids talked about what they remembered – and that was that. I walked upstairs, made them breakfast, and vowed to go to 5pm mass at the St Paul Cathedral in honor of the fallen. Krista, Jake were by my side at the mass.

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