I Will Never Forget

Remembering 9/11

Author: Unknown

As the soot and dirt and ash rained down,

We became one color.

As we carried each other down the stairs of the burning building,
We became one class.

As we lit candles of waiting and hoping,
We became one generation.

As the firefighters and police officers fought their way into the inferno,
We became one gender.

As we fell to our knees in prayer for strength,

We became one faith.

As we whispered or shouted words of encouragement,

We spoke one language.

As we gave our blood in lines a mile long,

We became one body.

As we mourned together the great loss,

We became one family.

As we cried tears of grief and loss,

We became one soul.

As we retell with pride the sacrifice of heroes,

We become one people.

I will never forget September 11, 2001. I will never forget the feeling of disbelief when my husband, called me and told me to turn on the news and I found that an airliner had crashed into the World Trade Center. I will never forget the horror I felt as I watched live on television, another airliner fly into the second tower. My family was already at my house. It was to be a big day for us...we were sending my baby brother on his mission. He was supposed to fly directly to the MTC in Brazil that day. Just before turning on the news, we were sitting on the floor of my living room floor. Dusty had all of his stuff spread in stacks around the room, checking to make sure nothing would be left behind. All that preparation came to a stop as we stood around the television in shock. I will never forget the shock I felt when still another plane flew into the Pentagon. We realized as the airlines started shutting down all of their flights, that Dusty would not be flying out. We huddled close together and watched...glued to the television. I will never forget the panic I felt when a fourth plane crashed into an empty field. I will never forget feeling that this attack might not ever end. I will never forget the looks on my little boys faces as they watched the attacks play out on the television like an action film. I will never forget when they saw the horror of people jumping out of the building and they thought it was the tall white building that their dad worked in in Salt Lake City. What a relief it was to them when we called their dad and they were able to talk to him and know that he was safe. I will never forget the horror I felt when the first and then the second tower collapsed. I will never forget feeling so thankful that my family was together in my home that day. My kids, my mother, brothers, sister and her husband, and my grandmother and grandfather. I will never forget the family prayer that my grandfather shared as we knelt in a circle. I will never forget the gratitude I felt when my husband walked in the door from work that day. I will never forget feeling that nothing would ever be the same again as I rode around Layton with my brother Dustin searching for a copy of the day's paper. I will never forget the feeling of love as I tucked my boys into bed that night with words of reassurance. I will never forget the feeling of security I felt in a world of uncertainty when I read my scriptures that night before drifting off to sleep.