“We do not remember days; we remember moments.”
~Cesare Pavese, The Burning Brand
His voice flowed through the receiving end of the phone at my desk… just like the perfect cup of coffee, strong and smooth, and it was a good way to start the day. Except it wasn’t. He was calling to see if we’d heard. To see how we were doing… how I was doing. I knew that he cared.
We were friends, good friends. We talked about life, and dreams; the past, and present. I’d ramble about boys I thought I liked and he’d mention girls he thought he was interested in. We’d tease and share stories. And with all of the talking we did, we both liked to listen. We cared.
This time though, a quick chat on the phone wasn’t for a good story or a pre-Facebook status update. It was harrowing, and it was sad. Soon I was home with my family, watching with abated breath as the news unfolded updates and footage of lower Manhattan, covered in soot and smoke. There we sat, in an almost disbelief of what we saw, wondering what would happen next, and in prayer. Prayer for those sacrificing their all to save someone else, for those weren’t yet found and for the ones who lost what I would have in a few years with the man who called to see if I was all right… a family of my own.
Out of all the moments of life, the little things that string themselves together to form a beautiful tapestry of memories, there are some that bring along with it sorrow. And pain. And in the fabric of my memories, of all of ours, is this stain. A day made up of grievous moments that the world will never forget.
What do you remember from that day?
Adrienne says
There are friends that I was with on that day that have moved away and that I’ve pretty much lost touch with ~ I have been thinking about them so much this week. This is a tender remembrance and a gentle reminder to embrace the memories of all the moments that have made us into the people we are, even the painful ones.
Ashlee says
I remember crying and feeling scared. Then I remember being proud. Proud to be an American. Proud to have gotten to witness average Men and Woman becoming heroes and saving lives. The flag,and the national anthem became very precious to me. It made me realize how fragile and precious our lives are. It was the last day I took every breath I am breathing for granted.
Marisa @ Walking My Ass Off says
It was a terrible day, one that will never be forgotten for sure.
Just wanted to let you know I’m experiencing some problems joining Sunday Citar. Whenever I try to connect using Linky I get this message… Server Error in ‘/’ Application.
I’m not sure if the problem is on my end or yours.
Marisa @ Walking My Ass Off says
Me again…as you can see I got it to work…yea!
Fresh Mommy says
Adrienne, I’m the same way… have friends from that area and think about them so much this time of the year. And Ashlee, so well said!
Galit Breen says
It’s good, so very good, to write this down. It’s a slice of your story, yes- but it’s all of ours, you know?