It was an early morning when I awoke unexpectedly. I did not have to be at work at 7am that day, because I had job training off site from my employer in Denver, CO. But, something woke me up.

I never watched the news in the morning, because I usually sleep in and don’t have time in my blind rush to make it into work on time, but something woke me up early that day.

I turned on the television and saw the image of the first tower on fire. They said a plane had hit it. I was in shock. How could a plane, a commercial jet, just hit a building? My heart just sank. I sat staring in awe of the fire.

Then, I saw the other plane banking hard in the background, and before it even hit, I was devastated. I knew what was about to happen. And it took so long to happen, like slow motion where you wish you could just reach out and stop it, but you can’t. The helpless feeling you have knowing what is about to happen, and all of those lives it is about to change.

I stared blankly at the television until it was time to got to training. I had no clue what the day would bring, what else could happen.

As I arrived at the training center, I heard about the plane crashing into the pentagon. Another attack, when will it end.

Then came the hardest blow, at least for me. A plane crashing in western Pennsylvania. Near where I was raised, near to where my entire family still lives. I couldn’t fathom losing any of my family. A brother, sister-in-law and niece of mine living in Pittsburgh. Another sister-in-law of mine in Pittsburgh visiting them, with my other two nieces. My mother and step-father in New Alexandria, PA. All to close to home.

Then I recieve a phone call from a co-worker still at the shop. My mother has urgently been trying to get through to me. My heart sank even farther. What had happened? Why is she desperatly trying to talk to me?

I dismissed myself from class. After an hour of trying to contact my mother, I finally got through. I fell to my knees and thanked God, when she told me everybody we knew was OK. She was trying to find out if anything was happening out here in Denver. It was like a lump was removed from my throat, although not completely.

That is when I realized how selfish I was being. How I was so worried about my own family, that I never realized how many other families where being torn apart. So I thanked the Lord again, and began to pray for the safety
of everone else.

Shortly after the good news from my mother, I heard on the radio that tower two had collapsed. Once again my heart sank. Then came tower one.

That evening, I went to my usual watering hole to be with people that were going through the emotions I was. It was amazing to see everybody feeling the same thing. It was even more amazing to see the togetherness and the hope we all felt. It was amazing to see America once again be united.

As time passes, so does the anxiety, but the memories of those lost will always be there, for all of us.