Ten years ago our country was jolted from it’s sleep. It woke from its dreams to a terrible real life nightmare.
Like the rest of the country I watched in awe of what had just happened. I watched and cried and was scared and was numb.
I was living, at the time, far away from my family. I was also living in one of the biggest miltary cities in the country. It was very real to us there. Large planes flew and loud noises from the base happened every other minute it seemed. Security was amped up within minutes there. Chaos was how I remember it.
And all I could do was watch.
And talk on the phone. And write emails to everyone I knew to be assured they were safe.
The “family” I had made there, a group which to this day I still love and care for, bonded. Made each other stronger. Looked out for one another.
We learned, much like I’ve learned this past summer, that lives can change in a matter of minutes. Things can become difficult. things can go wrong. We also learned that it gets better. People get stronger. And time heals.
I’m proud be an American. I’m also proud of how our nation has healed.