10 years....

10 years ago today i was sleeping, it was just another day with school to follow in themorning as men and women poured their coffee, took their showers and headed out the door to work as they normally did others boarded planes setting out to terrify a country. I had 8am classes that day so I probably got up at 7:45 and got ready in my10minute speedy way. Headed to class and sat toward the back like I always did... it was a regular average day why would I act different? All of the sudden midway through class another teacher bursts into our classroom saying a plane hit the World TradeCenter. I was like dude thats really NOT a funny joke. We stopped, prayed for whatever was going on and headed to find a TV. This was no joke and as we got to the TVs the second plane hit the second tower. I felt sick... I knew people who worked there, I had friends who's parents worked there, my family randomly traveled into the city sometimes. I was shaken and I was 300 miles away. Phone lines were down and I couldn't get in touch with my family for a few hours. In that time I did a lot of praying and crying... "dear God be with my family and loved ones." It drove me to my knees. As we watched and cried we were terrified that people we knew had been affected bythis event. We didn't believe it at first when they said it was a terrorist attack. Who would do something that sick? When I finally got to talk to some family and friendsthey told me they could see smoke from different areas, like from my friends college or my moms job or my high school.... we live 20 minutes away how could they see smoke... crazy! It all felt like a really bad dream as reports flooded in and the tragicnumbers of lives lost added up. But it didn't hit me until fall break. As we drove overthe Throgs Neck Bridge and the city sky line looked completely different. Tears streamed down my face as I looked and the buildings I had just been inside of and my friends and I opted to not go to the top till christmas break were no longer standing.

So today as I prepare to go to the place so many people found comfort and peace I pray that people who lost loved ones will find comfort and peace today. I pray that the men and women who sacrificed their lives at the world trade center and the other areas that were affected, I pray their lives wouldn't be in vain, I pray that we would continue to find the strength and the courage to move on and to do great things with our lives, for our country, for others and most importantly for God. I pray that the kids who lost their parents would be brought peace by their heavenly father. I pray that this tragic

even would not make the day that buildings fell and people died but the day that a nation came together for the greater good of man kind to rise above and awful situation.

9-11 victims and families, you will forever remain in my heart, thoughts and prayers. I am so thankful to be an American and so glad for the freedoms we have. Military personnel, firemen, police officers... THANK YOU for doing what you do!