Never Forget

 I have been reflecting back to September 11, 2001 a lot today.  It started when I dropped my kids off at school and saw the flag at half mast.  I have talked to Avery about what happened on that day, but I haven't talked to my other kids about it yet.  We stayed in the car for a few minutes this morning and I gave them a brief explanation about what this day means.  That people who did not like America, and what it stands for, set up a plan to make us look weak and breakable.  That they put people on flights so they could take them over and crash them.  That on one of those flight the passengers fought back and sacrificed their own lives to save others.  That it put us into a war against terror.  Their response, "You were alive back then??"  Yes kids, yes I was.

It got me thinking that I have never written down my memories of this day 19 years ago.

I was 12 years old and in the 7th grade attending North Ogden Junior High.  I remember being in Mrs. Wood's class listening to the radio about what was happening and not understanding what it all meant, but my heart hurting.  That whole day I don't think a single teacher actually taught their lesson.  In each class the TV or radio was on listening to the continual coverage of everything.  I remember the principal getting on over the intercom and asking the teachers to please continue on with their classes as scheduled, but they didn't listen.  As a 12 year old I didn't really grasp all that was happening.  I knew it was bad, I knew it was scary, I knew it was done by people who hated America.  I remember talking to my friends about what it might all could mean.  Why it happened and what this meant for our country.  

All I remember from that day is the news being on, hearing and seeing footage of all that had happened.  The plane crashing into the first building, wondering how this could have happened.  Then the second plane crashing and realizing that this wasn't an accident.  Then hearing of the pentagon and then later of Flight 93.  Seeing people running, crying, jumping out of windows because they were trapped and knew they were going to die, the buildings falling, smoke.  

All of this caused by people who feared us and didn't like what we stood for.  There was so much heartbreak that day and the days to follow, but there was also so much good.  This brought our country together instead of pulling us apart.  I have since read and watched a lot about September 11th, but this is what I remember as a 12 year old.