Remembering 9/11 - 10 Years Later

I can hardly believe that it has been 10 years since the tragedy on 9/11. When I think about it, or see pictures or news coverage, I'm taken right back to that day - the same feelings, the same fears. The war on terror is still going on, security measures are still high everywhere we go, there are still extremists in far-off lands that want to do us harm. But the infant that I had on that day is now 10-1/2 years old. That baby that I held close and worried about protecting is now a 5th grader -- she's curious about 9/11 and while we have talked about it with her in the past, this year we have been much more forthcoming about what it was like, how we felt, who was lost. She is optimistic that since "that guy" (Osama Bin Laden) is gone, that this won't happen again. My husband and I would love to tell her she's right, but unfortunately we are not as confident as we were pre-9/11.

On my husband's side of the family, we lost a cousin who was a firefighter, a husband, a father. We do not live close to his family, but over the past ten years we have seen his wife and three boys at family reunions and kept up through family. His boys have grown into three wonderful men that he would certainly be proud of. Two of them are married, one has a beautiful daughter, and all three of them have followed his calling of being a firefighter.

Yesterday we watched some news stories about the 9/11 anniversary, the new building that is being built (One World Trade Center) and the 9/11 memorial -- two breathtaking fountains that were built in the exact footprint of the Twin Towers. I think the sight of the new state-of-the-art building, next to the memorial really symbolizes my hope for our country -- that we keep rebuilding, keep growing, but never forget.

On this 10th anniversary, my thoughts are with all of those who were lost, their families and friends, and the troops that continue to fight to protect us from something like this happening again. God bless NYC, PA, DC, and God bless America.