The Patriot

  I am told that I am too sentimental. Maybe so, but I am a firm believer that we can never forget the tragedies that have befallen this world. This morning, I ran outside and put our flag to half-mast. I am also very patriotic.

  It has been ten years since 9/11 and I still cry when watching the videos. I must admit, that thankfully, I did not lose anyone close to my family on that day but I do remember it being one of the worst days I can remember.

  My husband had left the day before on a business trip in New York. My father had also gone to New York to meet up with some clients. Being a normal day, I loaded my son into the car and took him to his pre-school at the Jewish Community Center, then headed off to work.

 There were always radios on at the office (talk radio) but we tended to ignore them. One of the junior partners came running out of the office, yelling for everyone to switch to the same channel. A plane had crashed into one of the twin towers.

  We all sat and listened to the commotion on the radio and became very nervous for the people who were trapped in that building. Then the radio announced that another plane had just flown into the second tower. I was handed some money and told to go buy a T.V. for the office, immediately. Trish, the secretary and I headed straight to the first store we could think of and purchased a small television. Every single demo T.V. was showing what was happening in New York and all eyes were glued to the set.

  I looked at Trish and asked her if we should stop by my son's school and get him. She said that he was safe and not to worry.

  I knew he was safe; I just wanted him near me. We hopped on the Mass Turnpike to head back to the office. As we approached, the tollbooths all gates came crashing down and the red lights started blinking. At that moment, caravans of army troops started racing through the tolls heading straight for Boston. Trish and I both must have freaked because I remember racing all the way back to work.

  When we arrived, the T.V. was turned on and that is when the first tower came crashing down. Everyone gasped as if we were one voice. I turned to my sister and asked if she had heard from my husband or our father. I had no idea what part of New York either was in and was becoming very frightened.

  Then the phone rang. It was the preschool. All children had to be picked up immediately. Across the street from the Temple was an Islamic Temple and the police were guarding the school. My sister drove as we rushed to grab my baby.

  Obviously, no work was done that day as we all sat huddled around the T.V. My husband called around 2:30 in the afternoon and wanted to know what was going on. He had been in a closed-door meeting all day and not one person had let them know what was happening in our country. Thank God, he was not in the city.

  It turned out that my Dad was also outside the city. My family was safe but our hearts were reaching out to all the families that had been touched by that day. So many lives wasted. I, for one, will never forget that day.