Ria Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 I am sitting here, about to watch the same video I've watched for 9 1/2 years. I watch it every year. http://heavens-gates.com/cryhardenough/ Even though this year is harder for me...the combo of the increased media attention to the 10th anniversary and my son being overseas...I will watch it. I will cry. I always do. But somehow I feel like I need to see it, to feel it again, to remember. This is my own thing. I don't involve the dc or dh. They know. They see the tears. They let me be. Just wondering if I'm the only one who does something every year to remember. Not that I could ever forget.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aubrey Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 I like to be alone, but it's not just for 9/11. When the attacks happened, my grandfather had just died the month before. A 2yo niece died the month after. And a couple of years later when Katrina hit, my dad died the week after 9/11. 9/11 was his birthday, & it was the last time I saw him alive. He shared the bday w/ his little sister, his best friend, who died a few mos before he did. She was 48, he was 49. Between his dad's death & his sister's, his 2nd wife left him, & he suffered a major heart attack w/ complications that left him in ICU for nearly 6mos. I remember calling him that morning on his birthday, the tone in his voice. I remember watching his life crumble over the next few years like the twin towers. He was living w/ my grandmother when he died. She was working for FEMA, & because of Katrina, she'd been moved to the Dallas office an hour away. If she'd been home, she might have been able to get him to the hospital in time to save him. It's as if he died in the hurricane, too, & he was the epitome of Margaritaville, so it's sort-of appropriate. I wish we had the same feeling today that we had 10 years ago, the reverence, the coming together. People wouldn't even cut ea other off on the highway for at least a week. At first I resented all the 9/11 coverage, like huge red flags reminding me of my loss. I wondered if the victims felt the same way. Now, though, enough years have passed, that it sort-of feels as if the nation mourns with me. And my loss is numbed enough that I can remember their loss better & mourn w/ them, too. To *me,* it's too soon to honor the day w/ other people, people I'd have to talk to, like my kids. But I can't imagine letting it go by unnoticed. I don't look at the images online or in the news, but I do listen to clips of the ceremony--as much as I can--on the radio. As much as I sometimes hate the media coverage of the day, what would it say about us as a society if something else--Britney Spears, for ex--topped the news today? So I'm glad we remember, even if I kind-of wish we could forget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 It's my eldest son's birthday so we are always focused on that. It's a difficult day for a birthday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter's Moon Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 My mother and I went to a memorial service today. It was beautiful, a wonderful tribute. It was held at a fire station, so a lot of service men and women were there. I shook hands with some and thanked them for their service. It was the best way to spend the day, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proverbs356lady Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 I don't do anything special except pray for the many families that were affected by all that happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aubrey Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 (edited) Sorry, mods. (Edited after the mass deletion.) Edited September 11, 2011 by Aubrey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ria Posted September 11, 2011 Author Share Posted September 11, 2011 Yep. Sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chepyl Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 We had a moment of silence at church, partially for the 10th anniversary, but also for the victims of an attack in Afghanistan over night. Many service men and women from our area were injured. We don't do anything special, it is a day that we get to spend as a family. I have family overseas, I remembered the attacks daily for the two 12-18 month deployments my cousin went on. We are reminded of it everyday. It is like only honoring your spouse on Valentine's Day or you mother only on Mother's Day. The events 10 years ago have forever changed the way I view the world. I cannot live in fear and I cannot live in the past or I would not live at all. I think memorials and services are fine, and they help provide closure for those veru closely effected by the loss of a loved one. The OKC memorial has helped many people deal woth what happened here. I have young children, I do not want to show them video of the twin towers, I am not ready to explain it to my children. They do not need that burden. When they are a few years older, we will do things differently, but for now, I will hold amd love my children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8circles Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 Lots of personal reflection & prayer. I'm not ready to watch any of the films or footage of it again. I talk to my kids about it but they really don't get it yet. Its still very surreal to me, like its hard to believe its real. We (DH, DS8, &I) were in Madrid for the 3/11/04 bombings. We were at the site less than 12 hours prior. I would like to be more deliberate about praying for the terrorists. :grouphug::grouphug: to everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 I had a Cadette Girl Scout meeting today. We watched the Nick show about 9/11 with Linda Ellerbee and discussed it. I think it helped them understand since they were all about 2 when it happened. I got a little choked up though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 (edited) No, but dh was flying today on a commercial airline. Happy that it went well, but he sat on the runway for 1.5hrs due to mechanical issues. LOL Poor dude...that had to be a bit unnerving. Edited September 12, 2011 by Tap, tap, tap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 No, not really. Today is dh's 90-year old grandmother's birthday. It is also his only day off for a bit. So we focused (as much as I'm able with this cold) on family time today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Jo Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 Not a whole lot here - we had a baby shower this afternoon. However, my dd's boyfriend is a firefighter and he and several from his crew in this city went to Nashville to run 110 flights of stairs in full gear in honor of the 343 firefighters that died in the towers. He ran in honor of Paramedic Carlos Lillo. We here are all very proud of him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 Watched the footage again but wanted to hear more about the flight that went down in PA. Those people are often on my mind. I think it's good to recall it. I am not a proponent of all forgetting and moving on. Of course, we move on, what else would we do? But I think we need to remember and feel the pain now and then on the anniversary so we can put the rest of the world happenings in the right frame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 Today is my husband's birthday so we focus on celebrating life, although we always pray for our country and those most affected by 9/11. It was such a tragic day and that year dh was working/living in another town before the (then) 5 kids and I moved there to join him. We were talking over IM with another friend as the events unfolded and it was horrific, scary being alone with my babies and just wanting dh to come HOME. I get very emotional if I dwell on the day's events, so I try to just focus on the day that my best friend was born instead. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nono Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 I would like to be more deliberate about praying for the terrorists. . About 9 years, 10 months ago, a bartender at the President's Club in the Newark airport and I decided we'd do our best to remember daily to pray that one terrorist would change his/her heart. I'm pretty sure she did a better job than I did of doing so for the last 10 years, as I don't pray much, but when I do pray, that's the first thing I do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 Today I sang Mozart's Requiem as part of a mass concert with representatives from 14 community choirs in the Stanford Memorial Chapel. I was very glad to have the opportunity to do this in memory of 9/11. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seraphina Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 I stayed home from church today with ds (15), neither of us were feeling well. We watched the coverage from the day of. This is the first year he was really interested in understanding what happened. We talked a lot today and when everyone else came home we talked some more. All my kids wanted to know why, they just can't understand why people can hate. I try so hard to teach them to love people and to not harbor hate. My dh made a comment about being so angry today and ds said to him that today was a day when we should try even harder to not be angry because anger isn't a good thing to have. Today the best thing I did was spend time appreciating how blessed I am. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee in NC Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 We went to a Sept 11th service at a local church. They showed video of the whole thing, so I spent quite a bit of time explaining what had happened and answering questions from those who are now old enough to understand. My 13yo remembers it and my 10yo learned all about it in the past. He did ask to see a magazine I bought 10 years ago with the full coverage of the attacks. I told him I would find it for him so he can read it. I couldn't help but cry tonight. What a terrible thing. My 8yo couldn't understand why the people took the plane over and crashed in PA - he couldn't wrap his mind around all those people choosing to die (at least in his eyes.) I am sure we will talk about it quite a bit more over the next couple of weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nrg Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 Today I sang Mozart's Requiem as part of a mass concert with representatives from 14 community choirs in the Stanford Memorial Chapel. I was very glad to have the opportunity to do this in memory of 9/11. A couple of hours drive south of you, I sang in a performance of the Requiem at the San Miguel Mission, restored after serious damage in the 2004 earthquake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdalley Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 We watched the reading of the names as we do every year. The boys don't remember that day but we've always told them about it - as they've gotten older we've told them more about it. I looked at them today and was stunned to realize the oldest was a month shy of five - and spent that day watching Rugrats while I was glued to the TV. Middle was watching with him or playing or nursing or napping at just a shade over 2 yrs. The youngest was inside me - growing - preparing to be born. I thought all the memorials that have been built were beautiful and so wonderfully detailed. The speeches were wonderful - VP Biden had me in tears yesterday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 We attended a memorial service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 I wish I could find a video I saw then--it was a montage of still photos of mourning all over the world. Russia, England, Canada, Germany, Japan, everywhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annandatje Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 No. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 Yes. Our church's service was centered around rebuilding after 9/11. We watch a few videos and the memorial footage with our dds. I don't think it's something we should forget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyD Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 Until this summer we lived two blocks from the WTC site, so today was the first time that September 11 wasn't all about overwhelming crowds and street closures for us. I cannot stand much of the 9/11 coverage and try to tune out at least the stuff that just sends me into a fury, but I do love the annual Tribute in Light at the site, in which two beams are sent up from where the towers were. I think this year was the last one, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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