Richmondmom.com Remembers 9/11

We remember on 9/11.

It’s hard to believe it’s been ten years since that fateful day in 2001. Time passes quickly, but yet it seems as though it also stands still. We all remember exactly what we were doing when we heard the news.

I recall the beauty of that early September morning as the sun shone brightly outside the window of my 5th floor office.  A crispness was beginning to creep into the air as my mind turned to the changing seasons around the corner. I was working at my desk, occasionally enjoying the beauty outside my window as the incredible sun shone across the tops of the massive trees, when the news came. Like a lightning bolt, it struck me — and yet I was still in disbelief. There was no way a plane could crash into one of the Twin Towers. But suddenly, the news that both Towers had been struck and the agonizing hours and days that followed were a grim reminder of how destructive people can be, and how fragile life is for all of us.

My first thoughts, like everyone else, were about my family. Were they safe and had they heard the news? I had one daughter working in a Richmond office location and I quickly reached out to her. A brief conversation with my husband and then a frantic call to my younger daughter away at school at JMU. It took longer to reach her, but I was finally relieved to hear her voice. Many phone calls later to family and friends and after many tears, we started trying to grasp the reality of what had happened.

We are still trying to grasp it today.

Many of you were at work, others were traveling, some were in school, and many were just starting their day. Some people had not yet risen from a night’s sleep on the west coast and they were stunned at what they heard during their first waking moments.

But regardless of where you were, you most likely remember it like it was yesterday.

The Children of 9/11

My grandchildren were not born before this tragedy and it is so hard to explain it to them. They ask questions today with a quizzical look and wonder what kind of person would consider such a thing. They’re not yet old enough for all of the details that led up to the event, but they are learning more every year. While I often worry about how they will deal with the issue as they learn more of the gruesome facts, I can’t help but think about the children of 9/11 — those children who were unborn yet lost their fathers on that day.

Their fathers never had a chance to see their faces, hold their tiny hands, and rub their soft skin. They couldn’t say “I love you” and put their protective arms around their children. They were unable to share in the joy of birth with their wives and experience the moment of bringing new life into the world.  Mothers struggled to balance their joy of birth with the pain of their loss at the same time. The comfort of bringing a child into the world that was part of the man they loved was bittersweet. I cannot imagine the range of emotions they experienced — and continue to experience today.

Mothers returned home with their newborn babies, an emptiness inside them and an empty spot beside them in bed. They mourned for the child’s loss and never knowing her father, and they mourned for their own loss all over again. The “new norm” was not normal at all — but a foreign way of living that was yet to be shaped. They would never forget that fateful day and how it changed their lives and the lives of their children forever.

And now ten years later, we all still remember.

A Time to Remember

As we all struggle to make sense of what happened, it never really seems to make sense. It just continues to cause us to question how and why such a thing could happen. Now that we are approaching the ten year anniversary of 9/11, it’s important that we remember those who lost their lives, and remember those who risked their lives to save others.

Richmond offers a wealth of opportunities for 9/11. Family-friendly events are being held throughout the Greater Richmond Area. Whether you’re looking for a lively, fun event, or a more solemn remembrance, you’ll find it here. Richmonders are resilient and they are fighters – that’s why we have so many opportunities to express our feelings and reach out to others during times of grief, anger, and frustration. The 9/11 events give us a chance to do just that – reach out and embrace life and each other.

If you’re looking for family-friendly events, check out the Richmondmom.com calendar and “Rockin’ Weekend Events” article. Visit the HandsOnGreater Richmond website where you’ll find lots of activities from arts and crafts for children, to poignant services and ceremonies of remembrance. Check with local community resources and churches for activities. Create your own family activities and acts of kindness to remember 9/11.

Make 9/11 a day of volunteering, giving, and caring so that those who lost their lives did not do so in vain. Find a way to give to others, share and care. Tributes to those who lost their lives on 9/11 are an important part of coping with the world and the situations it presents. And it’s a healthy way to help children understand more about that fateful day.

Richmondmom.com’s staff remembers all who lost their lives on 9/11, thanks all who risked their lives, and continually remembers the families and loved ones who lost families and friends that day. They will never be forgotten.