No matter what your political, religious, geographical connections are, this is a day that will always bring strong emotions to each of us. I cannot imagine how it is for the families and friends of the victims. Our state, Connecticut, lost 153 in this attack and has lost 60 more in the wars that have followed.
My memories of that tragic day center around trying to make some sort of sense out of the tragedy for my middle school students. As the Social Studies teacher, I tried to give historical perspective along with comfort. Three other classes squeezed into my classroom that day, along with their teachers, and it was an experience that was shared on so many levels. It felt comforting for the entire middle school to share this together in such close quarters. Seemed to bring a sense of being 'one' in tragedy. It was so hard to fathom that people could hate so much that they killed thousands of innocent people. Students and teachers together lost some of their innocence that day.
Personally I also worried about the repercussions of such an act. How would it affect my draft age nephews? Would war follow? Would it happen again?
I would like to extend a special thought to a New York fireman who died in the events of the 9/11 tragedy. My last name is a very unusual one, and yet, there was a fireman who perished with the same last name of GRZELAK. I am guessing that in generations past we probably share a heritage and maybe a family connection. God bless him and his surviving family members.
My memories of that tragic day center around trying to make some sort of sense out of the tragedy for my middle school students. As the Social Studies teacher, I tried to give historical perspective along with comfort. Three other classes squeezed into my classroom that day, along with their teachers, and it was an experience that was shared on so many levels. It felt comforting for the entire middle school to share this together in such close quarters. Seemed to bring a sense of being 'one' in tragedy. It was so hard to fathom that people could hate so much that they killed thousands of innocent people. Students and teachers together lost some of their innocence that day.
Personally I also worried about the repercussions of such an act. How would it affect my draft age nephews? Would war follow? Would it happen again?
I would like to extend a special thought to a New York fireman who died in the events of the 9/11 tragedy. My last name is a very unusual one, and yet, there was a fireman who perished with the same last name of GRZELAK. I am guessing that in generations past we probably share a heritage and maybe a family connection. God bless him and his surviving family members.
If you have a moment and the inclination, I would love to hear your stories/feelings/memories connected to this tragic event and/or this year's tenth anniversary.
God Bless America!!!
9 comments:
Beautiful tribute Joanne! God Bless you and our country!! :)
The world cried that day. We also lost many Aussies that day! I think it is a day that no matter where in the world you live you remember exactly what you were doing when it happened, I know that is the case with me.
Thanks for this moving tribute and sharing your thoughts. I too will never forget that day and how I watched those shocking events unfold in horror. I think I learned that day what evil really is, and to this day I still don't understand how any human being could even think to commit such senseless acts upon mankind. May God bless all those lost souls as well as those left behind and with God's grace, may we never have to endure something like this again.
Thanks for your post today Joanne....... my thoughts are with the loved ones of the victims......time heals, but still it stings...my tears fell this morning as I watched some of the memorial service this morning. Such a tragic, senseless and evil chain of events. I remember being in the strike line at work on that day here in Canada. When the news of the attacks broke, the union reps graciously took down the line and we all went into work..........our protest seemed so insignificant in comparison.
God Bless,
Vicki
Oh what a wonderful tribute Joanne! I remember I was just walking out the door for work when the news of the first crash came on the news, followed shortly by the next. I stood stunned and unable to move... almost like my feet had been glued to the floor. I was a little late but decided to grab our little 8" portable TV and take it with me to the office where I was working. When I got there no one else was there and I wondered if I should go home or stay. I knew NO one would be wanting to look at new homes that day yet I was on the schedule and so I stayed. A few people came in just to talk. It was so unbelievable and I was filled with many different emotions... anger, fear... questions.... lots of questions. I just wanted to run home and have my family all home too.... I wanted that closeness of those I loved... perhaps that reassurance that they were OK! Time does heal... but still many of the consequences of that senseless act will live on forever. I don't know that I'll ever understand it... but I'm working on forgiveness, because I know that God has said that vengeance is His. May God bless America and protect her!
Thanks for the tribute, Joanne! My husband and I were watching the Today Show when they showed where the first plane had hit the one tower and then the cameras caught the second hit. It was such an unbelievable moment. Just couldn't wrap my mind around it. I was glued to the TV for days. Such sadness. As others said, you just can't believe anyone could hate that much! God Bless America!
What a terrible chain of events that changed our world. We now have to live in fear, especially during times such as this past weekend with the threats we heard about. Of course, the wars continue.
I was still in bed watching Good Morning America when it all started. To our horror, it only grew worse.
The only good thing was, for a while, everyone grew very close and very patriotic. Wish we still had that.
Our community choir did a patriotic musical last night. It included all emergency service members and military. It was a very moving ceremony.
Your post is wonderful today...thank you, Joanne.
What a wonderful post Joanne! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I enjoyed reading all you had to say. What an amazing wonderful picture! Its beautiful and so appropriate, so fitting!
Hugs.
Beautiful image and such a honor for the day! Hugs...
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