Where Were You?

There are certain events in history that make such an impact on us that we can remember where we were and what we were doing when it happened.

The Bombing of Pearl Harbor ~ ask a WWII vet and I bet they could tell you where they were and what they were doing when they heard about it.
John Lennon being shot
President Kennedy's assassination
Elvis's death
and maybe even for some now, Michael Jackson's death

I wasn't around for the first 3 of these and I was too young to remember the 4th and the 5th was shocking and sad. However 9/11/01 is a date and day that I remember VERY vividly.
~I remember I was teaching my first graders,
~I had a phone call from a parent that morning saying she wouldn't be able to come in and volunteer.
~I remember the principal coming over the PA system asking teachers to turn off their tv's (apparently some had them on during their planning periods and word had spread after the first plane hit).
~ I remember walking into the library and seeing on the tv (in the librarian's office) the second plane hit.
~I remember calling my mom because she had a good friend whose daughter lived in New York and after learning about the Pentagon being hit I was worried about my cousin who lived in DC at the time.
~ I remember holding my breath waiting for the next tragedy to strike at any moment.
~I remember walking my kids around the school that day trying to be as normal as possible for them.
~ I remembered thinking at some point during the day that my wedding was only 4 days away. I was worried about family and friend's that had to travel and if it would be safe or possible for them to do so.
~I remember going home and making sloppy joe's and french fries for dinner and watching nothing but the news all night.
~ I remember hugging John so tight when I saw him.
~ I remember being in a state of shock and disbelief that all those people had lost their lives.
~ I remember crying and praying for the mothers and fathers who lost a son or daughter.
~ I remember crying and praying for the husbands and wives who lost their other half.
~ I remember crying and praying for the sons and daughters who lost their fathers and mothers.
~ I remember crying and praying for those firefighters, police officers, doctors, nurses, etc who did everything they could to save anyone they could.
~I remember crying and praying.

When I went to school in Hawaii, on December 7th every year at the morning assembly we would say the Pledge of Allegiance, sing our patriotic song, say our prayer (it was a Catholic school), then in remembrance of those who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor we had a moment of silence.

I hope that school children in 40 years will honor this day, Sept. 11th. They will read about it in their history books, they will have grandparents who will tell them the stories about where they were and what they were doing. I hope that they will know that those people died because of the hate of others and that our country did not fall under the crushing weight of that hatred and the horrible acts of that day. Our country banded together and the men and women who make up our military answered the call duty and are still serving to protect the very freedoms that those who hate us would take away.

So, do you remember where you were? Do you you remember what you were doing on September 11, 2001?