My Grandchildren have no idea what the significance of 9-11 is. This is a historical event that they will learn about in History class at some point. It will be a fact to remember for a quiz and final exam. It will be just an ambiguous date and event unless we share our story of that fateful day with them.
Do you remember where you were when the first plane hit the towers? I was getting ready for work; I was so afraid to send my kids to school, but I knew it would be best. All day at work, we were glued to the television. We could not believe what was happening. It felt so surreal. The days afterward were hard to even describe. My heart was heavy with sadness, grief, and loss of innocence. I felt fearful and even mad. But I also remember the way communities came together, there was a strong bond of unity. I felt a great love for my country, and you could feel it in others as well.
I feel these are the things that we should share with our families, our children and grandchildren. This is part of your story and how it intertwines with history. Sharing this will help your posterity see more than a date and what is written in a history book. They will see how this part of history impacted you.
I did not realize that my last grandmother who passed away, was born during the Great Depression. It only dawned on me when I was preparing to give a talk at her funeral. I did not find any journals from my grandmother, I just found small notebooks with grocery lists or lists of bills to pay, and every once in a while, a few lines, most of them seeming scrawled in a moment of sadness and regret. I have a great deal of disappointment that I did not ask my grandmother more questions about her life to learn more about her hopes and dreams, worries, and concerns.
I know that it is hard to share stories from our lives, but I really believe that it is important. Who better to tell our stories than ourselves? I challenge you to start. Start today. Write about where you were on 9-11.
Congratulations! This was the most popular blog post at the Will Blog for Comments #6 linkup! It's highlighted in #7, beginning September 18. Looking forward to what else you share at upcoming linkups. :)
I was a homemaker when 911 happened. My daughter was only 2 months old. I remember seeing a picture of the towers on AOL news page but I just thought they were talking about what happened back in 1993. So I didn't bother to read. A friend called me and told me that a plane crashed into the WTC. She was leaving work. I spent the rest of the day watching this horrid event on TV.
Really thought-provoking story, thank you! I was teaching my 2nd grade class when an aide came and pulled me into the hall to tell me the horrible news. We had to just keep teaching as if nothing was happening. We were told by admin that it was up to the parents on how and what to tell their children. I’ll never forget it, nor will that whole incident ever be gone from my memory.
PS I found you on the “Calling all Bloggers” link up!
I was teaching 2nd grade at the school here in town when an aide came in with a huge smile on her face (to mask her fear in front of the kids) and whispered in my ear that two planes had just crashed into the World Trade center buildings and that there was a tv playing continuous coverage in the teachers lounge for us on break. She offered to watch the class for a bit and let me step out to process what she had said. It was understood that no one was to say anything to any of the kids for at least a day or two to give families time to handle it on their own. It w…
I was talking with some friends last night about 9-11, and we talked about so many of the things you mentioned here--where we were, the overwhelming shock and sadness, etc.--but a couple of them also mentioned the great unity we felt as a country. It seems to me that's the biggest thing we've already forgotten, and that's the main thing we should have kept in remembrance! You're right that our experience in that moment of history is something we should share because it's part of our story. Thanks for sharing this post the the Will Blog for Comments #6 linkup! Hope to see you again next week. :)