The Day My Heart Ached for so Many

Four specific moments that day that made me feel too much, were etched in my brain forever, seen at the same time worldwide by so many others on a television set and resulted in me asking so many questions. They were: Disbelief, We heard the report of a plane colliding with the north tower of the Trade Center in New York so we raced to our TVs to find out more, the tower was on fire with people trapped above the 80th floors with nowhere to go but up, How could this happen with technology on planes and at airports; Horror then Fear, as the second plane flew into the south tower with the huge explosion that followed and was witnessed worldwide, No, this couldn’t be anything but a cowardly terrorist act and how many more planes were being high-jacked and which buildings were targets; Hopelessness, A man and woman holding hands jumps off one of the tower just after 1PM, captured on a live TV broadcast, others followed however I turned and left the media room for I could no longer watch, my heart hurt too much and my tears were giving me a headache; and then Tears of Hope, One mother and two daughters looking for their father who worked in one of the towers, he had called shortly after the first plane flew into the north tower but couldn’t be found after the collapse so the three went in search of him, checking all around the now secured area called “Ground Zero”, a camera crew was following, another live broadcast and we, like them, were holding our breaths, just when you were about to give up hope, the little girl screams “Daddy” and runs into her father’s arms crying, so very happy to have found him and saying that she had been so scared; we were all so scared she’d not find him.

There were so many stories that day and for days afterward but these are the ones that touched me. Most people will be able to tell you just where they were and what they were doing on that very day when all hell broke loose. Me, I was a webmaster at the British High Commission just one block down from the Canadian Parliament Hill buildings in Ottawa, Canada. News travels very quickly within an embassy and we were put on full alert status just after 10:30AM for the Brits and Canadians are close neighbours and allies to the United States so the fear was real and brought home quickly that it could happen here too. People were evacuated from downtown Ottawa as a precaution but many had to stay for security reasons and their families had to wait, wonder and fear for their loved ones, which only brought the events of the day closer, but it allowed strangers to became friends and communities to commenced networking to help each other to hear the news, assist anywhere they could with whatever was needed right down to simplest act of hugs in support and empathy. Life can tear you apart or make you stronger and this made us stronger as a whole worldwide; not exactly what the terrorists planned now was it.

I live each day as if it were my last and give many hugs to all; strangers joining a hiking event; friends at the cottage during summer; family whenever we get together for simple or special occasions; and I remember then say a prayer each September 11th for those lost heroes, loved ones and victims left behind that much persevere.


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