Today, I debated about whether or not to post or say much of anything about the events on September 11th, 2001. Not because I don't value the importance or the gravity of the terrorist attacks, but because even as an adult, it is just too hard to digest some days.
The first I knew about anything was in my English class - my sophmore year of high school. The teachers seemed out of sort, they were hiding something awful, but like they were waiting for the right moment and way to say something, not that they didn't want us to know. Then our principal came made the announcement that the Pentagon had been attacked and that anyone affected could leave class and come to the counselors office. That was the first and last thing I heard about it until I got home from school.
As my usual, I turned on CNN to watch the latest world events while working on homework - but instead I was glued to the news station. The first image I saw was of a man jumping from the towers to his death...only it wasn't an image, it was a live video feed from earlier in the day...I then watched the towers crash down and the smoke, ashes and everything else plummet to the ground like a bomb was being dropped. I was angry...I was shocked...I was in tears. I couldn't even believe what had happened and what would happen from there on out.
So while catching a quick bite to eat before teaching tonight, they had CNN on in Dairy Queen...I was glued to the images taken from today and taken this day twelve years ago. I was in tears and when the anchor said "it seems like people just don't care anymore," I just had to post something today. The images that pained me the most were the survivors. The widows, the children, the workers that have suffered mentally and physically from that day...the ones that have been forgotten the most. They are why we should never forget, they daily pay the sacrifice from twelve years ago, they deal with the hurt every second of the day...if only for them...we should never forget.
The first I knew about anything was in my English class - my sophmore year of high school. The teachers seemed out of sort, they were hiding something awful, but like they were waiting for the right moment and way to say something, not that they didn't want us to know. Then our principal came made the announcement that the Pentagon had been attacked and that anyone affected could leave class and come to the counselors office. That was the first and last thing I heard about it until I got home from school.
As my usual, I turned on CNN to watch the latest world events while working on homework - but instead I was glued to the news station. The first image I saw was of a man jumping from the towers to his death...only it wasn't an image, it was a live video feed from earlier in the day...I then watched the towers crash down and the smoke, ashes and everything else plummet to the ground like a bomb was being dropped. I was angry...I was shocked...I was in tears. I couldn't even believe what had happened and what would happen from there on out.
So while catching a quick bite to eat before teaching tonight, they had CNN on in Dairy Queen...I was glued to the images taken from today and taken this day twelve years ago. I was in tears and when the anchor said "it seems like people just don't care anymore," I just had to post something today. The images that pained me the most were the survivors. The widows, the children, the workers that have suffered mentally and physically from that day...the ones that have been forgotten the most. They are why we should never forget, they daily pay the sacrifice from twelve years ago, they deal with the hurt every second of the day...if only for them...we should never forget.
A friend of mine from high school and in marching band wrote a blog today as well, and it included pictures from the memorial in NYC, but with them was something that I didn't know anything about. The Survivor Tree. In the rubble workers found green leaves...they cleared around it and found this tree you see here.
Barely living, scarred and burned, but still had life. It is a survivor - it showed there was hope in the living, there can be rebirth out of the disaster and despite the worst pains from the attacks - life can and must go on.
The workers sent the tree to a nursery (by the way the tree is a pear tree) to be cared for in hopes that it truly would survive and grow. It was cared for and has been planted at the current memorial in NYC.
It is a living symbol to never forget, but to live life, to show our nation that there is hope when we work together and care for each other. It is a testimony to the heart of the American dream and spirit. The principles that we are founded on, that no matter what there is always hope...you just have to have faith.
Barely living, scarred and burned, but still had life. It is a survivor - it showed there was hope in the living, there can be rebirth out of the disaster and despite the worst pains from the attacks - life can and must go on.
The workers sent the tree to a nursery (by the way the tree is a pear tree) to be cared for in hopes that it truly would survive and grow. It was cared for and has been planted at the current memorial in NYC.
It is a living symbol to never forget, but to live life, to show our nation that there is hope when we work together and care for each other. It is a testimony to the heart of the American dream and spirit. The principles that we are founded on, that no matter what there is always hope...you just have to have faith.
So never forget the importance of today - never forget those left behind...the survivors...never lose hope or faith. Keep fighting the great fight to protect our freedom and never take for granted the day we have been given. I am closing this post with the picture below of what the Survivor Tree looks like now (from this past spring) - there is always hope for the future, you just have to care enough to make it happen.
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