7 years ago today, I had woken up particularly early so that I could walk over to my Doctor’s office for an appointment I had at 8:45am. It was a beautiful morning.
I was a few minutes late for the appointment, but of course that didn’t matter. As I walked in, I saw EVERYONE in the waiting room- including the doctor- huddled around the television. I asked what had happened, and they all said that a plane crashed into the world trade center.
We all thought it HAD to have been an accident. There is no way that someone could have ACTUALLY hijacked a plane and crashed into it on purpose right? WRONG.
A few minutes later, we witnessed the second plane crash into the second tower. Our jaws just dropped to the floor. That was no mistake.
What followed was a haze. I tried to call my home, my friends…. but there was no cell phone service. Even the landlines took a hit.
People were stressing out- including the x-ray tech that was at the Dr’s office. He began to cry. He said his daughter worked at the towers. We all stood there reassuring him that she was going to be OK. Of course, we didn’t know that for sure.
Although I didn’t live in the city (I live in Brooklyn)- once the towers fell- we could see the smoke from the streets. It was surreal. Everyone was calling anyone and everyone they knew just to make sure they were OK.
We were all scared for our lives, and no place felt safe. None.
Evil came from the sky.
I was supposed to be on the subway that morning heading towards the city. I had promised a friend that I would go with him to his Doctor’s appointment. He backed out that morning- so I went ahead with my own appointment in Brooklyn.
My friend’s sister on the other hand, wasn’t so lucky.
She was 5 months pregnant and worked in the city. Once the towers fell, the police department shut down the subways and buses (in fear of more attacks). This meant that if you lived in Brooklyn you had to cross the Brooklyn bridge. My friend’s sister walked the entire way, all the while inhaling smoke. A few days later, she lost the baby.
Terror is nothing new to me.
My family lives in Israel. I have lived in Israel- and will probably move there.
We are scared of getting on a bus, in fear that a terrorist will get on and blow him/her self up. We live in fear every day. Of course, that is the life of an Israeli.
The one place you could always feel safe was in America. No one would dare attack us, we thought. We were wrong.
Terrorists do not value their own life, so why should they value others?
Another friend who lives in Israel told me a story. She said that a few years ago, her parents were having lunch (in Israel) with her youngest sister. A man walked in, blew himself up, and her life changed forever.
Her sister died, and her dad was so badly hurt that he must live in an assisted care facility for the rest of his days.
This is what terrorism does… takes innocent lives.
It took over 3,000 people on that one morning 7 years ago.
How many more will it take?
Today, I am thankful for my family and will hug my girls a bit longer tonight.
What are you thankful for?
Gemini Girl 
I’m glad you shared this story today. I think too many people have already forgotten about what happened 7 years ago. For me, I’ll never forget and I’ll be praying for those who lost loved ones on that day.
I’m not sure anyone could ever forget. While I was in Israel when the Towers fell, I grew up in New York, not far from the city. To me it will always be home. I watched the Towers fall on a tv in my office in Tel Aviv. Among my coworkers were several other New Yorkers. I remember no one said a word, we all just stared aghast, hands clapped over our mouths.
I went home to my 8 month old baby and wondered what kind of world I had brought him into.
A month later I went to the funeral of an Israeli killed in 9/11. It took a full month to find him and bring him home. He left behind a young wife and a newborn baby who will never know her father.
My father’s secretary lost her husband. Thousands of others lost their loved ones.
I remember, and I mourn, and I strive to be grateful for every day that I am given with my family.
I am thankful for my life. I am thankful that I can’t sleep in – that I have no time to myself anymore – that I wake up in the middle of the night with my baby – I am thankful that my daughter fusses, laughs, and screams. I know I complain a lot but I have no reason to do so. I love my life and hate that so many others lost their lives.
I lived in Miami on 9/11 and I was at work in the tallest building in Miami that day. We were scared that this was going to spread across the entire country. So we all left work early. I went home to my apartment on the 22nd floor in downtown Miami. I thought, was my building next? No planes flew in the sky for days. It was a creepy feeling. Everyone was different from that day on.
My best friend who worked at the law firm with me cried for days. He used to work at a bond firm in the towers – the firm where hundreds of people died on 9/11. My friend Kevin took leave from work to attend numerous funerals.
I will never ever forget.
Thanks for sharing, Maya. I don’t live anywhere near NYC,but I’ll still never forget that awful day.
I am thankful for so many things…my children and other family, stability, health..and all the other many blessings I’ve received.
Thanks for sharing your story. So many lives were changed that day. A country full of lives.
Even though we were attacked, I am thankful to live in America where the threats of road side bombs and terrorists blowing themselves up aren’t something we have to live in fear of everyday.
Wow.
The whole WORLD got shaken up that day, but to be there … I can’t imagine.
Today, I am thankful that I got to spend 15 minutes cuddling my husband, before he went to his dreaded chemo. Soon he will come home …”The Beige Man” again. And it will take three weeks to recover, then it’s chemo again.
But, we cuddled and I was so thankful.
Oh, and ps ….. I GOT YOUR PARCEL!!!! Of COURSE I must blog about it. You are too. Totally. Cool.
XOXOXOXOX
With all that is going on with the weather in Texas today, there was hardly a mention of 9/11…but it’s of course something I will never, ever forget. It did bring to light how scary of a place the world is but also that there are still kind, loving people out there who will do anything to help a perfect stranger. There is always hope.
I’m thankful that I can go upstairs and kiss my precious babies and then spend some time with my husband just hanging out at home in our pj’s…nothing beats that.
I’m thankful for my family, and I’m thankful that I have a friend like you! This is an amazing post. Wow.
Maya,
I just want to say that I think you are a writer a cut above the average blogger, and I have really enjoyed reading your site the last few months.
I love your awesome critique of your crazy family…
I love reading about your hubby your gorgeous twins
I love reading about your unique Israeli perspective…I really don’t know of another blog with that perspective (FYI..Paul is playing there soon!)
I also think you write well and your posts are never boring.
Lastly, today’s post was very moving and thought provoking.
You rock!
Mike
be sure to stop by my blog…I have an award for you.
Thank you for sharing your 9/11 story. I am not quite there yet, but there is always hope…
Thank you for posting this. As a fellow New Yorker and Israeli, I agree with everything you are saying. It sucks that we live in a world where at any moment some psycho can just wipe us off the face of the earth. So many people are affected and lives changed forever.
evil came from the sky.
so true.
what a GREAT post.