POWERFUL FOLLOWERS

Saturday, September 11, 2010

GOD BLESS AMERICA
LAND THAT I LOVE...
HE STANDS BESIDE HER 

A friend of mine, Miss Charlene, lost her nephew in the Twin Towers on 9/11. 
Another friend had a daughter who worked in the Towers, but she did not go to work that day. 
And yet another friend received a call from her husband telling her that their son was okay.
They had no idea that he had decided to travel from his home in Michigan that day to visit friends from his days of living in New York City. 
He was afraid they might have heard, 
and be worried down in Georgia. 
He was only a few blocks away 
and saw some of the tragic events of the day.
My family had toured part of the Twin Towers
with my son's high school band 
less than 8 months before.
It could have easily happened on that day with our group.  
I was teaching an art class of high school students that day, and one of the teachers came in and told me...a plane had crashed into the Twin Towers.
I turned on my radio to NPR just as news came of another plane crash.

I remember turning cold and wanting to see my family. 
I also remember walking through the library and seeing the faces of the students as they watched the events on TV; and thinking their lives would never be the same. 
I also thought of John F. Kennedy and the day he died. 
That day is still with me, 
and this day would always be with these children. 
I left school early, picked up my son from school and went home.

It amazes me how small the world is, 
how everything that happens touches home in some way...
sometimes just by touching our heart, 
sometimes by actually breaking it.

This Middle Georgia back roads store, showing it's patriotism with it's simple painted flag,
is posted in the honor of all of those 
who lost their lives that day;
for Miss Charlene, and the others.
.
Our lives, hearts and our country changed that day.

3 comments:

  1. Your story is so touching. I think that perhaps I'm the only person I know who does not know someone affected by that terrible tragedy, yet all those I saw suffering and in pain, looking for family and lost loved ones -- all those people, I felt so close to them. I wanted to be there looking through the crowd helping the mothers spot their sons and daughters. I loved the picture you used today as representative of the tragedy for it did affect everybody!

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  2. Beautiful post...I was on my second day at a new job when I heard the news. All I wanted to do was go home and hug my husband, call my mom...well, you know. My heart aches for those who lost so much! God Bless, Laurel

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  3. Thank you...I made the picture on one of my trips to Maine this summer...it seemed to fit the day's remembrance.

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