Do you remember where you were?

On this day, just 5 years ago?

I do.

I was in the store where my husband worked picking out our wedding flowers. Yep. What a joyous occasion to be associating with the most tragic thing (I think) to have happened in my lifetime.

I remember when someone came into the breakroom and said a plane hit the first Twin Tower. We were all like "how the heck did someone hit the tower?"

Then, the second plane hit. We found a t.v. And sat huddled around a little t.v. wondering what the heck was happening to our world as we knew it.

Flowers no longer really mattered in the grand scheme of things.

I went to work a little bit later and we sat huddled around the radio there. Listening, worrying. My regional director's boyfriend was in the air at the time headed to the east coast. We hadn't heard anything from him or about him.

We were only blocks from the Michigan capital building.

After a few hours, it was VERY clear that we were going to be slow that day...and considering our location the CEO of the company sent us home, just in case.

I went home and glued myself to the t.v. Crying. Watching all of those fire fighters risking their lives and dying.

I felt personally attacked. I felt personally scared. I have a family full of fire fighters. All in Michigan, but I know how scary it is to watch them go into dangerous situations. I kept thinking about those men and women's families. Their children. I still cry thinking about it or seeing footage from that day.

Chuck and I both said that we didn't want to bring children into this world.


2 days later we found out we were pregnant with our first son, Zachary. Chuck and I cried. How could we think of bringing a child into this world of craziness and hate and unexpected? (Let alone the fact we weren't ready and not married).

Now, 5 years later, I look back and am so grateful for my son. And grateful for all those emergency responders that risk their lives to save ours.