I will never forget.

     On September 11, 2001 Dan and I were living in our tiny two bedroom apartment at Wymount Terrace on campus at BYU.  I am not nor have I ever been (nor will I ever be) a morning person.  I always scheduled my classes after 10 or I probably wouldn't make it.  But, Dan had a class at 8 a.m. this particular semester and had to be up early for it so he woke up and showered.  I would usually just sleep while he left, but for some reason this day I got up and turned on the T.V.  I watched as they reported that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center and there was a fire trapping people inside.  I told Dan what I was watching.  After he was out of the shower he came and watched with me and we watched the whole story unfold.  We watched live on T.V. as the second airplane crashed into the second tower.  At first, I thought  they were replaying video from the first crash.  The newscasters were speechless.  As were we.  As they reported that there was another plane that crashed into the Pentagon and several more missing I stared at the T.V. with anxiety building in my stomach.  I realized as many others did that this was much bigger than just an accident.  For the first time (in my lifetime) my country was under attack.  But from who?  I remember feeling so angry and so slighted by cowards.  I didn't want Dan to go to his class that morning.  I was scared at what else was going to unfold on the television.  But, he had to go to this class (it was attendance based) so he left me alone.  I sat in front of the TV for the next few hours...horrified by the sight of people jumping to their deaths out of burning buildings.  I called home to see if my family had been watching what was going on.  My dad had been flying that morning in his Cessna and had been radioed to land his plane immediately.  Mike was at home and I remember him telling me about dad's plane being grounded then him saying, "oh my gosh, the tower just fell."  I was staring at the same pictures on T.V. and couldn't believe it at first, until the smoke cleared and it was obvious that the tower was gone.  He said, "I gotta go!" and hung up on me!  I sat there in my apartment and cried.  I knew that I was safe, but America as I had known it would never be the same. 

     I had a class later on that day, so I got ready and headed to class.  I remained glued to the radio as they told the story of the people on the Pennsylvania flight who died taking on the terrorists with no fear.  A sense of patriotism that I have never before felt rose up in me.  As I drove around Provo, cars had flags proudly displayed, people had "God Bless America" written everywhere.  It was a sense of unity and pride that welled throughout the whole country.  Every TV on BYU's campus had students around it watching, silently taking in the horror and yet I felt like part of something so much bigger.  We were all in this together. 

     My kids have no idea.  I've explained to them why 9/11 is such an important day and they know the story...but I think to them it will be much like Pearl Harbor was to me.  I know it was important....I know many innocent Americans died that day....I know heroes were born and pride in our country helped us to win the war.  But it was all in theory.  I understood it....But not really.  It will be the same for them.  But as for me.... I will never forget.