Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid!.-John 13:27
Two weeks prior I had just quit my Fortune 500 Corporate job and was saying goodbye to Atlanta. But there I was basking in a beautiful pre-fall day enjoying a cup of coffee with my mother just like I had planned it to be.
I didn’t REALLY know how beautiful of a day it was until this day when I was watching the 9/11 Memorial Programs that were airing this past week. I listened as each of the news reporters started their story with one sentence, “It was a beautiful day that day”. That line is now forever etched in my memory because again it really WAS a beautiful day! I recall how beautiful the sun rays were peering through the Venetian blinds, our dog Casi-D resting on my Mom’s feet. That crisp morning it appeared to be a day NOTHING BAD was going to happen, at least NOT that horrific anyway.
As I remember, the breaking news came on and alerted us of the first plane hitting the first tower. I thought to myself, “Wow, I see why my company moved out of the building”. Prior years I recalled an attack on the same building and the company I was employed with was affected. However, since then they had moved and the reality began to hit me. I still wasn’t sure what was happening was really happening. But as I sat there glued to the television I am hearing my mom make a familiar sound with her mouth closed. It was a sound that we knew when she did make it something was not right. As I was processing that sound and hoping what I was seeing wasn’t what I was seeing and that was America was under attack!
At that moment, I burst into tears and we prayed for the people in the planes and buildings……..
That was the beginning of a different America and a major memory I shared with …………MY MOTHER.