9yrs

It's hard to beleive that we can all pretty much remember exactly what we were doing on Sept. 11 2001. When it was suppose be just another ordinary day of work/school and how it was taken away in just an instant.

I remember I was going in late to school so I took my sweet time getting ready and was blow drying my hair and turned off the blow dryer when I heard on the radio that a plane had flown into the World Trade Center, I ran into my parents room where my mom was and where a TV was and from that moment on I transfixed to the TV. I did make it to school but even there in every classroom the TV's were on and not much work was being produce by teachers or students. I made it through the day and headed home where both my parents were trying to get a hold of a dear family friend Matt who is a firefighter with FDNY. It was well over 48hrs before Matt was even able to get a hold of his wife Jenny who was keeping everyone else updated. Matt wasn't on duty that day but rather he was enjoying his morning with his 2 boys watching Bob the Builder and playing cars when he received a phone call to look out his window. They were living in the Bronx during that time. Matt had a neighbor look after the boys as he headed into the city to do his part.

In October of 2001 my parents and I headed out east to help Matt and his family move into a house they had just finished building outside of the city. While there my parents and I attended a funeral service for one of the 343 firefighters who lost their lives on 9/11. It is something I will never forget, my mom and I sat together as my dad was in Class A uniform and sat with the many other firefighters who were in attendance. I have never cried so hard for someone I've never meant before, even to this day it leaves me speechless. After the service we headed towards Ground Zero from St. Patrick's Catherdal in which my dad insisted was just a few blocks away. I do beleive that day we managed to walk a good 10 miles (we did get to take the subway back, thanks dad). We eventually made it and it was a sight to see and a smell to smell as the area was still smoldering. I have pictures but they were taken before a digital camera was in my possession. We left the area but images we saw and the smell stuck with us as it was embedded into our clothing.

We ventured back to the city a couple years later on the 9/11 where we we paid our respects to the 2996 (break down of the number: 2,606 at the Twin towers; 343 FDNY, 23 NYPD, 37 PAPD and 15 EMTs. 125 at the Pentagon: 55 Military. On the planes 246 civilians) lives that we lost that day and attended the memorial service and the reading of the names. That year the children of those who lost parents read the names it was beyond touching. Just thinking about the events of that day leaves my eyes welled up with tears.

This year please take time out of your day to remember those 2996 lives that we lost, tell your family what they mean to you and be thankful for all that you have and those who serve our country.

NEVER FORGET!