What Comes to Mind
It’s hard to believe that it has been 13 years since we all woke up to news that changed our world forever. Like you, I remember exactly where I was when I got the call.
“Are you watching the news?” Dad was supposed to be on a flight out of town for a business trip.
“No, I’m getting Christian ready for school.” We never turned the TV on before school.
“Well, you better turn it on.” He told me everything he’d learned after boarding his flight only to have it cancelled just before take-off. I turned on the television and watched the unthinkable for myself, wondering, should I send Christian to school?
I only sent him because the psychiatrist being interviewed on the news said families should go about their normal routines. But the day felt far from normal.
September 11th always triggers the memory of Dad’s phone call, and arriving at Tuesday morning Bible study to friends who starred at one another in stunned silence as if talking would be disrespectful, and our Bible study leader having us all read a prayer from the book of Daniel out loud. I remember my frantic phone call to my friend Susan, whose son’s family was due to fly in the night before for a long-overdue visit.
“Did they arrive in time?”
“Yes, they’re here.”
Every year, Nathan hears the same story: “I found out that I was pregnant with you the day after September 11th.”
I admit to him that I was scared to death over the idea of bringing a baby into such a scary world while all my friends thanked me for giving them some hopeful news. “See, God used you to make people happy at a very sad time.”
Three years ago, I met someone who added a new series of thoughts to my September 11th memories. Now, when I see those towers, I think of Mike Hingson and his guide dog, Roselle making their way down 78 flights of stairs with their friend David and dozens of other men and women. I picture Mike promising to lead everyone out if they lose electricity, and Roselle giving a firefighter a final kiss. I think about his wife, Karen, waiting at home, praying that Mike will be okay. When I see the smoke, my first thought is, Mike and Roselle need to get out! Then I thank God that they did.
What a gift to have Mike and Roselle’s inspiring story to associate with this tragic day. That and the news that my family was about to receive a little gift (Nathan means “Gift of God”—how appropriate).
What a precious reminder that, even in tragedy, God offers us hope—reminders that He hasn’t gone anywhere—that He still has His eye on individuals, and can use dark days for His purpose.
What does this day bring to mind for you?
Me with Roselle, the hero guide dog
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A relative of mine was in the hotel across the street because she had an appointment at the World Trade Center a little later that morning and saw the attack out the window. She could have been killed if her appointment had been a little earlier.
Wow, what an incredible story! My brother-in-law’s uncle was in New York that day also. In fact, we’re pretty sure that he ended up in the same subway station that Mike and Roselle escaped to after running from the falling tower.
My husband and I were flying back from the funeral of his mother in New Zealand, and were five hours out over the Pacific Ocean when the pilot turned the plane around and headed back to Auckland, NZ. He told us the air space over the entire USA was suddenly closed. Then he told us there had been an incident at the World Trade Center in New York. By the time we landed we were hearing that the Twin Towers had come down, but we absolutely did not believe it. Air NZ put us up in a hotel and as soon as we got to our room we switched on the TV. All the NZ stations were broadcasting CNN and the first image we saw was the collapse of the World Trade Center. Stunned does not begin to describe how we felt. We had four days of scrambling to get a flight out as more and more other foreign travelers arrived in New Zealand, also attempting to go on to the US. With patience and persistence we managed to get on the first flight back to LAX, September 15. Home never looked better to me!
I thought about your story today, Cheryl! Thank you so much for sharing it. How scary it must have been to be so far from home while all of this was happening.
One of those few times in life when you’ll never forget where you were when you heard the news. I was sitting in my bed doing Bible study. My daughter-in-law and grandson were getting ready for her work and his school. My son had left for an interview for a Captain’s position at a nearby police department. We assumed they would send all the candidates to their home police departments to deal with any emergency situations, but he didn’t come home. Then I wondered if they kept the applicants to observe how they handled the stress of such news. He was gone all day, took all the tests, was hired and went on to become the Chief of Police there and retired nine years later.
Jeanette, that is a gorgeous photo of you with Roselle! I, too, have been thinking about Mike’s experiences that day.
He definitely put a face on that day for a lot of us.
Thanks for the nice comment about the picture. I still have plans to frame it.