5 Years Later

5 years later, and seeing those pictures on TV bring back the tears that I shed that day and remind me of the fear, shock and uncertainty that I felt back then.

I remember being at work when my boss heard on the radio that one of the twin towers had been hit by an airplane. Of course, we thought it was a fluke and just pilot error. I called my husband because he was in college and not working full-time that year. I knew he would be home. I told him to turn the TV on.

He turned it on and I remember hearing him say, "Oh, my God, it's gonna hit!" I told him it already hit. He told me that there was a second plane and he saw it turn around to deliberately hit the second tower. The next words out of his mouth have etched themselves in my heart, mind, and memory. He said, "We're under attack." He didn't yell it, he just said it. He served our country for 8 years. To hear him say that, I believed it and it scared me to death.

Work did not get accomplished that day even though we all stayed at the office. We were all in my boss' office listening to the radio. When I came home, I saw the whole thing played out on TV. Though I was worried and scared all day at work, I didn't shed many tears. I was more scared than anything at that point and without actually "seeing" what happened, I didn't completely grasp the whole situation. When I came home and saw everything on TV, I held onto my husband and cried my eyes out.

It's hard to believe 5 years have passed. I think of that day often. Keeping those that died in my thoughts, and sending up prayers for the family, friends, and nation that were left behind.