Every one of us has "life changing moments." Some are good. Some are bad. Either way, our life is different from that moment on.
For me, September 11, 2001, is my "day that will live in infamy." Before that day, I had other moments which were pivotal: being accepted to NYU School of Law, getting married, the birth of each of my children, the deaths of close friends, buying our home, quitting my jobs, etc.
But that morning was so "normal" until the television lost reception and my friend on the phone told me something was on the news. I managed to get CBS on the television and watched as smoke came out of one of the Twin Towers. We were discussing how could such an awful accident happen, when the second plane hit. That was when my heart sank and I knew something was VERY wrong.
I knew my hubby was safe since he had just left the house a little while before. As the news reported about this, I worried about the people at the office. I wasn't sure whether they should leave the office or stay put. Since I couldn't reach D, I told them to wait until I could speak to him. Meanwhile, the Pentagon was attacked. When the first tower collapsed, I started to cry.
When he finally got home, I went to get B and A from school. I had already planned on having lunch with them since the lunchroom was being used for a primary election. The school asked me not to say anything to anyone until we were out of the building. My children weren't surprised to see me other than the fact that it wasn't lunch time yet. I tried to explain what was happening but couldn't really.
Many friends and family called that day to make sure D was safe. Thank God he was and I had everyone home with me.
I wasn't able to sleep for days. This was also the time when I discovered the "Dear Jane" world of quilting. I quilted while I watched endless hours of search and rescue turn to recovery. I felt so much sadness and fear. Then I heard Alan Jackson's song and it really touched me. I was one of those who burned a candle when they asked us to. I had my American flag proudly displayed outside our house.
Sure, I knew life wasn't forever and that I should live each day to the fullest. But, that day really shook me to my core. I kept thinking of the people who died and never finished all the things on their "bucket list."
I was amazed that with all the people I've met during my lifetime in New York, no one close to me perished. How amazing is that?
It's almost nine years now and I still haven't finished my Dear Jane quilt (photo was from September 2005). I am very close to getting done on the border pieces. Maybe this will be the year.
What's your life changing moment? What's on your bucket list?
2 comments:
I have several, but one of them is certainly 9/11. It was a time when I realized that harm could certainly come our way, as a nation and as individuals. So many innocent people lost their lives that day, it was hard to grapple with the meaning of it all. My friend lost her fireman husband, a neighbor an only child, why did this have to happen. How do we go on? And, yet I slowly realized other people go through things like this all the time. In other countries, other places, catastrophic events are not unusual but part of every day life. These were all things that were known, but never understood until that day.
man i am sad after reading this. :(
Post a Comment