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Posted on 09/10/2011 5:01:48 PM PDT by Kathy in Alaska
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Thank you, Kathy. A blessed day to you also.
Today marks the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks in the US on September 11, 2001. It’s hard to think about that date without mental images of the destruction, grief, and loss that swept over America and the world following those tragic events. The loss of thousands of lives was compounded by the depth of loss felt corporately—a lost sense of security as a country. The sorrow of loss, personal and corporate, will always accompany the memory of the events of that day.
Those horrific events are not the only painful memories of September 11. It also marks the anniversary of my father-in-law’s death. Jim’s loss is felt deeply within our family and his circle of friends.
No matter what kind of sorrow we experience, there is only one real comfort—the mercy of God. David, in his own heartache, cried to his heavenly Father, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; my eye wastes away with grief, yes, my soul and my body!” (Ps. 31:9). Only in the mercy of God can we find comfort for our pain and peace for our troubled hearts.
In all losses, we can turn to the true Shepherd, Jesus Christ, who alone can heal our brokenness and grief.
Read: Psalm 31:9-15
Beautiful, Luv...thanks.
I watched Heroes of the 88th Floor last night....on TLC I think. Worth watching if you have a chance.
We will NEVER forget.
Thank You, Connie.
(((HUGS)))
Oh Kathy...Thank You for that Moving Tribute to my Dad.
I LOVE the Navy Hymn.
That means so much to me.
(((HUGS)))
Love, ML
Thank You, Fawnn.
(((HUGS)))
And we thank you for your service to our country.
Good evening, Sarge...((HUGS))...blessings to you and yours during these rough times.
Thanks for you observation. History, I am going to use that to push things quite a bit farther behind.
A very good evening to you Sarge & sending some love your way! *hugs*
At about 8:40am on that morning, I was walking into the Court building on Adams Street (actually, the Court St. entrance) in Downtown Brooklyn to start serving jury duty. As luck would have it, I had been halfway to the train station before I'd realized that I'd left my Walkman on the kitchen table, so I didn't bother going back for it. I figured I'd just get a newspaper. Besides, I didn't know how well I'd be able to pick up AM inside the building anyway.
I sat in a dark room watching a video on How to Be a Good Juror, oblivious to what was going on right across the river. We were told to relax in the room that they have and I looked out the window at the Marriot Hotel. Traffic on Adams St was snarled, not moving. Must've been an accident on the Brooklyn Bridge, I thought. (It was a block away.)
People were standing around outside the hotel. Must be waiting for a tour bus or something. What did I know.
Fire trucks and ambulances started flying by on the wrong side of Adams Street, which had no traffic. Okay, traffic doesn't come into Brooklyn much in the morning, but something was odd here. I had been facing 180 degrees from where I needed to be looking.
Finally, they had made an announcement. America was at war, under attack. The World Trade Center and the Pentagon had been destroyed. The were trying to get coverage on the TV sets in the jury rooms. I don't think they succeeded. Even if they wanted to, only CBS would be available because it still broadcast from the Empire State Building.
People were beside themselves, many broke down, everyone was rushing for the payphones. I met a woman who had been listening to her radio. She let me share her earbuds. She was shaken and needed a cigarette. I don't smoke, but I walked her to the smoking room. (There was one on the floor. Quite a few people were there.)
We were dismissed. Not much was going to get done in the Court building that week. Groups of people huddled outside with questions, comments, gossip and hearsay. Some of the lawyers said they saw it happen. What kind of plane was it?
Does anyone know if the trains are running? What about the buses? No trains. No LIRR. A few buses and they're all packed. It was time to start walking and no one wanted to walk alone. We walked in groups.
Dust was falling from the sky in downtown Brooklyn like a dirty snow that was covering the cars. Papers fell too. We started walking up Atlantic Avenue. People were wandering around with their cell phones out trying to get a signal. no luck.
We took a turn down Third Avenue. I needed to. I wanted to stop at my mother's house. It was a good resting point for me. The group I'd tagged along with decided to join me. One guy stopped in a hardware store for masks and passed them out.
When we passed Third St and reached the Gowanus Canal, we had our first real look. It was like a scene out of a bad movie. The skyline was there. But the Towers were missing. Just a terrible column of smoke and a cloud drifting our way.
We didn't stay long. We kept walking. I made it to my mother's house and said good-bye to the others. Some were walking all the way to Staten Island. One who had joined our group had walked over the Brooklyn Bridge -- after having walked down 50 floors of Tower 1. God was looking out for him.
I watched some of the coverage until the trains were running again. I took one that left me about a mile or so from my inlaws, the meeting place for the rest of the family. I stopped in at St. Athanasius on the way. I hadn't been there since a wedding about 15-20 years earlier. I stayed for a little while and walked the rest of the way.
Thankfully, my wife, who worked at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge on the Manhattan side had evacuated immediately before the trains had stopped running.
It's not a walk that I'll forget ever forget.
TS
Goose-bumps, ML! I hope you are recovering from your mysterious illnes, and will be well enough to be there, to say that last ‘Good-bye, Daddy’. My prayers will be with you.
Oh my goodness, TS...thank you so much for sharing your 9-11 experiences. ((HUGS)) I cannot imagine being there and seeing a blank space where those 2 towers stood just a hour or so before.
Thanks, Bob, for the link to some awesome pictures.
As well, a Blessed Lord’s Day to you and yours.
Shavua Tov, Deo, to you and yours.
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