|
I remember every minute of the day, after my husband called to tell me to turn on the news. I watched the constant video loop of one plane crashing into WTC followed by the collapse of both buildings. I watched for days. I watched our president, whom I had previously mocked, and for the first time saw him as truly presidential.
To this day, I will avoid seeing video of those towers falling; just thinking about it causes a deep twisting in my gut.
One year later, my mother and I did our best to keep my father out of pain through the afternoon of the 10th into the morning of the 11th. I won't talk about that night, but in the morning I told my father that it was okay to move on. His breath slowed and stopped shortly before 9am.
My mother must deal with the greatest loss in her life in conjunction with one of the memorable losses of our nation. She is reminded by the news at least a month ahead of September each year and has dealt with that renewed sense of loss and loneliness for four years. I am unable to separate the two in any way, because the immensity of loss is both personal and national.
Yesterday, we held our first "Dad's Girls" day, for the sole purpose and need of a mother and three daughters to share the best of the first man in our life.
I believe or maybe simply hope that many people today are celebrating the best of those they lost on 9/11/2001, or have stopped for a moment to remember...there is so much to remember.
Pen
|