Always remember....

As an American, I will not forgot this day 7 years ago. We were living in CA at that time, so it was 3 hours earlier than east coast time. Both Mark and were asleep having hit the snooze a few times. I dreamt (or thought it was a dream) that a plane had hit a building (this came from hearing the radio reports from the alarm clock as it would turn out). I awoke to the phone ringing. As I answered the phone (still partly asleep), it was my mom's assistant and she said "Your mom is ok". I said "what do you mean she is ok?". Then after a few moments of conversation and realization that my 'dream' was not that but reality....... I remember complete disbelieve as I watched the tv. I remember thinking I was having an out of body experience. I called into work to see if we would work that day. After hugging Mark extra tight, we both left to our jobs. I got to work where no work was done as we were glued to the radio and internet (we did not have a tv). My boss called in to tell us all to go home in the exact words "today is not a day to work". I spent all day glued to the tv watching this horrible dream unfold.

I spoke to my mom at some point that morning after continued attempts to get a line, all the while worried about her not knowing for sure where she was (her business was with Congressional members, so there was a chance she had been close to the Pentagon). She was in DC on business (which I knew). She was one of those people who was 'stuck' and could not fly out. She was able to rent an SUV with numerous other colleagues, and the drive cross country began. They drove stopping only to pee, etc and to drop off the respected people in the car. It took 48 hours for my mom to get from DC to Sacramento. As I mourned for my country and all that were lost that day, I was thankful my mother's business was not at the Pentagon nor the WTC.

A day I will NEVER forget....... one of those that stands out for so many reasons. I often think of the innocence lost that fateful day. The innocent lives lost along with the men and women trying to save those lives, but also the innocence of an attack on our soil in my lifetime. I am always grateful for all the men and women who fight daily for my freedoms as an American.