Remembering September 11th

I was looking at a bunch of genealogy related twitter feeds this morning.  Many had the same theme or question; where were you on September 11th?  Many encouraged you to write down and record where you were so those memories wouldn't be forgotten for future generations.  I got to thinking that maybe that wasn't such a bad idea, but for very different reasons then they had intended.

I wasn't at work on September 11th.  I was at home.  I was in bed.  I didn't want to face the day that I had a head of me.  Hubby and I were living in the apartment at the time and I was lying in bed watching a movie on AMC, for the life of me I can't remember which movie it was.  I know I had seen it many times before.  My memory makes me believe it was either a Doris Day or Danny Kane movie.  Needless to say I wasn't watching the news.  I was being lazy. 
I had recently gotten home from an awesome vacation to Hawaii, where the morning of the trip we found out that we were pregnant with Cameron. We had told our families about the pregnancy on Grandparents Day.  I wonder if they still have the cards?  Telling people added a little sunshine to a very sad stretch of days.

You see, my September 11th was going to be spent at the funeral home for calling hours.  My September 11th is about the loss of my grandmother, Ruth E. Robertson Haskins. 

My grandmother was born on May 19, 1923 and she passed away on September 8, 2001.  She was a great lady, who I miss very much.  I wish my own kids would have gotten an opportunity to know her.

So when I think about September 11th.......

• I remember my grandmother.
• I remember the energy it took to get through that day.
• I remember my mom calling me to ask if I was watching the news.
• I remember my inital feelings when I turned on the news.
• I remember worrying if my brother was out of DC and headed for Marion safe and sound.
• I remember watching the news with my family when the towers collapsed.
• I remember talking to so many friends and family.
• I remember worrying about friends who lived in NYC at that time.
• I remember the sense of patriotism that everyone felt after that day.
• I remember all of the innocent people who lost their lives.
• I remember that day changed our lives forever.
• I remember how much I miss our pre-9/11 lives, especially my grandmother.