Do You Remember?

It has been 10 years since that fateful day, 10 years since four planes were hijacked and threw the entire United States into chaos. That day is etched on the hearts of this nation and will never be forgotten by those who experienced it.

I remember that day very clearly even now. I was a sophomore at Ohio State, working at the child care center to pay the bills. I was on my way to work, cutting through the rec center to get to the bus stop. A crowd had formed around the bank of televisions near the exit and I stopped to see what they were so focused on. It was silent. No one said a word. They were all glued to the TVs. I looked closely at the caption. I had to read it twice before I could comprehend what had happened.

As I watched, the second plane flew into the second tower. I was horrified, but the bus came, so I had to leave. I spent the day in the childcare center with my coworkers, listening to the updates on the radio. For several hours, we believed the entire Pentagon had collapsed. It was awful.

Fear was strong among the adults that day, but the children were our saving grace. They were all too young to understand what was happening. And they forced us to focus on what really mattered at the time--keeping the kids safe and happy. They were their usual joyous selves and brought smiles to our faces when we needed them most.

Where were you on September 11th? And what happened that day to give you hope that America could rise above the destruction?