Remembering 9/11 - 8 years later

I still cannot believe that it has been 8 years since the 9/11 attacks took place in New York on the World Trade Center.  I remember so vividly what I was doing and how i reacted.  It was such a surreal moment in my life that I will never forget it.

I was asleep at the time it occurred because it was just after 5am PST.  My son was 5 months old and I was only working part time, so did not have work that day. My aunt called me around 9am PST and was a bit upset because she had received a call from my cousin, who is an LA sheriff deputy. My cousin informed my aunt that she was being put on full duty because LA was on high alert for being a target of another attack.  My cousin was in full riot gear as was most, if not all deputies were.

I turned on the television and right when I turned it on, there was video of the second plan hitting one of the towers.  I immediately started crying and grabbed my son that was asleep.  I could not believe that in our country something like this could happen.  I was watching the news all day and the same video kept playing of the plane hitting the tower and all of the people in the streets covered in white dust running and screaming.

I visited New York back in March 2008 and took a tour of ground zero.  Our tour guide took us into Winter Gardens to view ground zero. As I walked into the building and up the large stair case to look across the street at ground zero, it was so nerve racking. I had chills all over my body and was filled with so many different emotions. I started to cry and I believe everyone else that was in our tour group did as well.

Winter Gardens is the home to American Express and Merrill Lynch. American Express dedicated an 11-Tear memorial for the 11 American Express employees that lost their lives on September 11, 2001.  The granite pool has 11 sides and has each employees name carved on each side and I believe the 3rd largest crystal in the world in the center. The crystal is  tear shape  and a for sure tear jerkier when visited.

September 11th will always be remember deeply in my heart for all of  the victims that suffered and all of the heroism that took place in a time of need. It should not take something so tragic to occur for all of us to join together and help each other out.  It is human nature to help others but I believe that we let our daily lives and wants get in the way of what should come natural to us.