9/11 America Forever Changed

Growing up I remember hearing stories of "I was here, doing this and that, with so and so, when Kennedy was shot". And everytime I heard one of those stories, I never thought someday I have one of those moments of my own, that would forever bind me in that same thought process, until that very day on 9/11/2001 at 8:46am.

I was sitting at the home office of Bass Footwear - then headquartered in South Portland, Maine. I was newly married and my husband was working in downtown Portland. I was sitting at my desk doing work as an Assistant Buyer in the Men's footwear department, listening to the radio when I heard those awful beeps that indicate an emergency, along with the words "We interrupt this program to bring you this breaking news".

My sister and I are twins. When we were little we'd pass by the New York City skyline on one bridge or another and say - "look - there we are". I was the taller building (the North Tower) - the one with the massive antenna and my sister was the other "South Tower" standing beside "me". That was us. Standing tall in NYC - one of the places we always saw ourselves living when we got older, "were grown up" and moved out of our mom's house. As I listened on the radio that one of the twin towers was down, my heart sank. It didn't seem real and I began hearing others talking about the news and turning their radios on. I couldn't move. I stayed there silent listening to the panic and fear in the announcers voice.

I tried to call my husband and finally got through after a few tries and found out his building was in lock down because of a person on the loose in downtown Portland considered to be armed and dangerous. My heart sank further. I continued to listen and then heard on the radio that the other Twin tower was hit and later that the Pentagon was hit too. I thought of my mom in on Long Island at school and wondered if she was ok. I thought of all the people I went to High School with, and College with and wondered and hoped that they were ok. I thought of all the people in NYC, anyone still in the air and prayed for them all. The praying has not ceased.

We later found out that one of the hijackers flew out of our very own, nearby, Portland Jetport only minutes and miles away, into Logan airport sending waves of shock and fear at the thought of every flying again, or even seeing my husband, or my family and friends. Although time has passed, all these years have been permanently altered from this one day. Lives have been forever changed and continue to change by those cruel acts of senselessness.

For all of you out there directly or indirectly effected by 9/11 - I am still praying for you. May you always have peace and hope in the marvelous light of Christ and know that you will see your loved ones in the life to come when we depart this earth. Until then, I will never forget and I will continue to pray. God Bless!

Please watch this video titled "Finding Hope".