7 Years Later

As most of you know, when I was pregnant with Baden I was very sick and couldn't really get out of bed. My mom, recovering from breast cancer treatments, stayed with us for 5 months to take care of me and May. On the morning of September 11, 2001 I was lying in bed watching Good Morning America when the regular programing was broken into and the anchors started discussing a fire at the World Trade Center. They were interviewing eyewitnesses and discussing what could have caused the damage. When they began showing pictures of the accident I saw the gaping hole and fire near the top of the building. I was wondering how large the hole was because I couldn't get a sense for it. Then an airplane came onto the screen and in my ignorance I thought, "Oh, now I can compare the size of the hole to this airplane when it flies by." As I watched, the airplane flew right into the adjacent building. I was shocked and screamed, "Mom! Mom!" My mom heard my voice and instantly came running. When she burst into the room I pointed at the tv and told her what I had just witnessed. We couldn't believe it. We talked and watched for a few minutes and then noticed May hugging Gramma's leg and crying, "I don't like this." Mom immediately took her out of the room and sheltered May from the news while checking in with me for updates. Because I never left the bed, I watched the coverage all day and night for a week until Bill finally implored me to stop. I wanted more survivors, more missing relatives to be located. I wanted an answer.

A couple months later May asked me, "Why did the bad man change the world?"

She was two then, and I've never really answered that question for her. It's important for us to share our stories with our children. Each of us have one. Let us share with our little ones our experience, America's experience - the shock, the heartbreak, the unknown, the hero's, the victims, the fear. Tell them how the whole world cried with us. How individuals made a difference. How we were all proud to be American. Let's tell them how our nation responded to those in crisis. Let's not leave it to the history books. We were there.

I found a video for younger children that talks about what happened that day. It can be a helpful tool when discussing 9 11.

May God bless you, and may God bless America.