Ten years ago today...
The morning of 9/11/2001, I was a resident of the Ronald McDonald house, in Roanoke, Virginia. Having given birth to our first beautiful baby girl three months early, we were able to reside there to be close to the NICU, which was her residence for the first Six months of her life. Our precious Saralain was in such hurry to meet us that she was born twenty four months and five days into her gestational period. That morning I finally felt confident enough to send my daughter's birth announcements. I was shoulder deep in baby pictures, ribbon, paper and envelopes, when the phone rang,
I can't tell you how relieved I was to hear my mother's voice on the other end of the phone. As any parent who has experienced having a child in the hospital will tell you, hearing the phone ring makes your stomach go up into your throat. My mother told me to turn on the news and we watched in horror. I sat frozen, watching the news as the story unfolded. I tried desperately to reach my husband who was more than an hour away at work. I was worried about my friends in Northern Virginia and DC, which I had called home, until just a few short months earlier. All sorts of fears were racing through my head.
For the last three months we had been praying for nothing but our daughters survival, now I found myself praying for the world we had brought her into. I quickly readied myself and went to the hospital, not knowing how far this madness would reach.
Today and many times over the last 10 years, I have prayed for the precious lives lost that day and for their family and friends that were robbed of their loved ones, that they find some peace and comfort. I also pray that WE do not forget that tragic day and may nothing like it ever happen again. I pray for our military and all the hard work they do protect us. I pray that the powers in charge are looking out for are best interest.
