Remembering 9/11

Hard to believe that 10 years have passed since that terrible day.  I was 8 months pregnant, Tony came in and woke me up.  He had been down exercising and watching the morning news when they broke in with the story that a plane had flown into one of the towers.  He came to wake me up, and just then the second plane crashed into the other tower.  I was shocked, stunned, overwhelmed, scared, confused.  What was going on?  Who had done this?  I had never felt unsafe in our country before, but all of the sudden I did.  We somehow muddled through getting the kids off to school, then I sat there for the rest of the day watching the news reports, feeling dark and afraid.  That evening as we were sitting around the dinner table, we watched as the tabernacle choir sang the national anthem.  Tony and I were both crying, not unusual for me, but definitely unusual for him. Pres. Hinckley then spoke, and I remember the darkness I had been feeling being replaced by peace.  My fears were calmed and I remembered my faith.  The positive from September 11th was how all Americans came together.  The heroes who risked or lost their lives to save others.  May we always remember the lessons learned on September 11th.

In a speech Pres. Bush gave on the year anniversary of the attack he said, "September 11, 2001, will always be a fixed point in the life of America.  The loss of so many lives left us to examine our own.  Each of us was reminded that we are here only for a time.  And these counted days should be filled with things that last and matter: love for our families, love for our neighbors and for our country, gratitude for life and to the giver of life..."

Following the attacks, in general conference, Pres. Hinckley said, "Now, brothers and sisters, we must do our duty, whatever that duty might be.  Peace may be denied for a season.  Some of our liberties may be curtailed.  We may be inconvenienced.  We may even be called to suffer in one way or another.  But God our Eternal Father will watch over this nation and all of the civilized world who look to Him.  He has declared, 'Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord' (Psalms 33:12). Our safety lies in repentance.  Our strength comes from keeping the commandments of God."

Our nation as a whole turned to God following the attacks, but I wonder how far we have strayed in the 10 years that have passed....

The Pentagon Memorial.  There is a bench for everyone that was killed there.

On this altar people place pictures of their loved ones that were missing after the twin towers collapsed.