Remembering

9/11

Just how powerful can three numbers be? The mere mention of 9/11 floods us all with memories. Can it really have been eight years ago? It seems like it is much fresher than that. The details are still vivid. The memories of that day will haunt most of us for the rest of our lives.

I remember the day vividly. I was working, my kids were in school and my husband was at home. So close, but so far away from each other. The internet was bogged down, you could not access any news sites! I was in a panic! My family was spread out and our world as we know it, was under attack. The news reports were starting to trickle in, it was hard to sort the truth from the rumors. Hundreds of people were gone....there was no rumor to that. Policemen, firemen, secretaries, children. It didn't matter who you were, they didn't discriminate. They didn't care. The recordings left on answering machines saying good-bye to loved ones. The calls home from the men and women on Flight 93. How much more could we take? The images, the video, the voices, the faces. Those will all be with me the rest of my life.

I called the school to find out what our kids knew. Blaine was only 10, he was in elementary school. They hadn't been told anything. My daughter was in 8th grade, they were watching the news in their classrooms. At the urging of the school, I didn't go to pick them up, however that went against every fiber of my being. When I did get home, John was at work. The kids and I sat on the bed close together and watched the news, over and over and over. I could not believe what I was seeing. It was surreal to say the least.

I remember my grandmother telling me that she'd never thought she'd live to see anything worse than Pearl Harbor. She said no one should have to live through two of those!

The skies were quiet. Where we usually have a lot of air traffic, there was none. No vapor trails, no sounds of jets. Just eerie quiet.

We all knew that war was imminent. Even those that are so against the idea of war couldn't have felt as strongly after what they had witnessed, could they?

I guess I thought that it would be quick. Like the Gulf War - we go in, we get out. No such luck. Eight years later we are still waging war. Now I am faced with the fact that my son may be part of this war. It's something I try to keep out of my every day thinking, but it's there, nagging at me. What if? I just can't think about it.

The only justification I have is to remind myself what a sacrifice each and every one of these young men and women make when they join our military forces. A responsibility to each and every one of us to keep us safe, to keep us free and to keep something like this from happening again. Our kids are taking care of us. The roles have been reversed.

Today is a somber day of remembrance. A day for us to look around at all that we hold dear. In my opinion, we need to take this day and make sure that each and every person who means anything to us knows it.

Have I told you how proud I am of my soldier?

Incoming Call...

It was Sunday...phone was charged and ready to go. We went to the Cleveland National Air Show which was a whole experience in and of itself. However, it was Sunday and I had already missed a call from my soldier last week. It wasn't going to happen again.

Although the air show headliners are primarily Navy or Air Force planes, the Army still has a strong presence. We set out to find them. I've been searching for an "Army Mom" t-shirt or sweatshirt, but hadn't found anything I liked. We did see a long line of people standing under a goarmy.com canopy where they were making dog tags. I know why they do this. They want to get your information so that they can try to recruit you. However, both John and I are over the age of 41 - too old by Army standards, so when I got up there, I asked the nice PFC if he would be willing to put the name of my son on a set of dog tags for me. With a wink and a smile, he did. And I love it!!! How you could adore a simple piece of stamped metal with a beaded chain is beyond me, but I do. No t-shirts, though.

John, being the over-grown kid that he is took on the challenge of the rock wall at the next goarmy.com canopy. Of course, it was a girl that was challenging him, how could he say no? He wasn't going to be outdone by a girl!!! He held on to beat her to the top and he got a t-shirt with the "Soldier's Creed" printed on it. But no Army mom t-shirts...

We checked out the other booths, some of the static aircraft displays and then returned to our seats to watch the rest of the airshow. John is not one to just sit for hours, so he would go out on his little tours and then come back. After one such excursion, he returned with a khaki green t-shirt, upon which was written "Army Mom." I loved it!!! He found it at the USO booth, of all places!!! Now I can wear my "Army Mom" t-shirt and my Blaine Henry, U S Army dog tags!

Then it happened! My phone rang and luckily it wasn't while the Marine Harrier jet was taking off!!! I would never have heard it!

"Hi Mom! Where are you?" I told him I was at the airshow and asked in my own glib way, "why? where are you?" He laughed and responded "well, I'm at basic training!" He sounded like he was having the time of his life! He told me he loves it! Can you believe it? He loves it!!! He told me that the letters were great! He loves every one of them. He remembered me telling him that Val was in charge of our Facebook group and he took the time to write her a letter and give her the names of some of the guys who weren't getting letters from home. He is quite a young man...makes his mama proud, I tell ya!

I was all excited to hear from him and I told him all about my t-shirt that John had found for me. He told me that sounded nice, but he had a shirt for me with his picture on it! I can't wait to get that one!!!

He said he couldn't talk long. He was going to let his "battle buddy" use his phone to call his parents because he didn't bring his own phone along. What a guy! We texted a few times, got in our "I love you's" and now I just have to wait until next time.

Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to write to Blaine. Not only does it mean a lot to him, it means a lot to me that you would take time out of your day to think of my son.

Have I told you how proud I am of my soldier?