memorial – Sweat & Sparkle

This morning, I attended a 9/11 memorial service in my town. It was short, but emotional and intense.

Twenty-three years already. I didn’t even know my husband yet. I was living almost 500 miles away, working at my desk at my home office, unaware that anything had even happened until my phone rang. I traveled a lot for work at the time, and a friend of mine panicked when she heard that planes were being hijacked.

I owned a TV but never watched it, so I didn’t even have cable, no channels. While America was glued to the TV that day, I heard about it on the radio but didn’t see the footage of the planes destroying the towers until a day or two later, at a co-worker’s house. Twenty-three years later, even though I had only been in her house that one day, I can perfectly picture the room I was in, the TV, where I was standing, and reaching one shaky hand out for the wall to steady myself as I watched, unable to stop watching, unbelieving.

This morning, a speaker at the memorial said he was asked why it is important to remember. I can’t fathom anyone needing to ask that question. What will happen to us if we forget?

Here are just some of the reasons we absolutely must remember.

“Jules, this is Brian. Listen, I’m on an airplane that’s been hijacked. If things don’t go well, and it’s not looking good, I just want you to know that I absolutely love you. I want you to do good, go have good times – same to my parents and everybody. I just totally love you… and I’ll see you when you get there. Bye babe. I hope I call you.” ~Brian David Sweeney, passenger on Flight 175, voicemail to his wife

“Hi baby. I’m, baby, you have to listen to me carefully. I’m on a plane that’s been hijacked. I’m on the plane, I’m calling from the plane. I want to tell you that I love you. Please tell my children that I love them very much. And I’m so sorry baby. I don’t know what to say. There’s three guys, they’ve hijacked the plane… we’re turned around and I heard that there’s planes that have been flown into the World Trade Centre. I hope to see your face again, baby. I love you. Bye.” ~ CeeCee Lyles, mother of 4, flight attendant on Flight United 93, voicemail to her husband

“Call me if you can. I’m scared!!” ~ unknown text message

““There’s a fire. I love you, tell Nicole ‘I love you’. I don’t know if I’m going to be OK. I love you so much.” ~ Jim Gartenberg’s voicemail to his pregnant wife and 2-year-old daughter as he was clearing out his desk on his last day of work at the World Trade Center

“I’m have been trying to call and cant get through. Call me if you can. I just want to make sure you are ok. I love you.” ~ unknown text message

“I’m going to die, aren’t I?” ~ Melissa Doi to 911 operator

“There’s lots of smoke and I just wanted you to know that I love you always.” ~ Melissa Harrington Hughes’ voicemail to her husband

Never forget.