The morning of September 11th, 2001 started out just like any other morning for me. I took my oldest two children to school, and then went home with my baby, Elayna. She was seven months old. I was probably feeding her breakfast; the details of the day didn't take on that odd clarity until later in the morning.
I was watching Good Morning America when Diane Sawyer reported that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. Like most of America, I thought and hoped that it was a crazy accident. I continued watching GMA and listened to the reports of what was going on. And as I watched the live coverage going on behind Diane Sawyer, I watched along with so many Americans as a second plane struck the World Trade Center. That's when I knew, and so many others, that this was not an accident. I remember thinking, We're being attacked.
I was terrified. I had little kids and our country was under attack. It was the scariest thing I could have imagined. A few minutes later my phone rang. It was my Mom, just asking what I was up to. She worked at an elementary school, and nobody there had any idea what was going on. I said, "Mom, our country is being attacked by terrorists. Turn on a TV - NOW." She worked in the Media Center. They turned on the TVs and that's how her whole school found out about the attack.
Then it was my best friend calling a few minutes later - again, with the typical "how's your morning going?" questions. "Danielle, have you turned on your TV yet?" She said no....I told her to turn it on. And yet another life changed forever.
The next few days I just remember staying glued to the TV and crying. I had three small kids and our world was forever changed. And the stories.....stories of missing children, mothers, fathers....it was overwhelming. I still remember a mother and daughter being interviewed about the missing father, and he literally walked up during the interview. I wept.
I don't know anyone personally who was lost in the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks. But this was something that touched every single American. Even down here in Florida, our every moment was forever altered on that day.
Where were you?
