No hell below us, above us only sky,
Imagine all the people, living for today.
Imagine there's no countries, it isn't hard to do,
Nothing to kill or die for, and no religion too,
Imagine all the people, living life in peace.
You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one,
I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will be as one.
Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can,
No need for greed or hunger, a brotherhood of man,
Imagine all the people, sharing all the world.
You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one,
I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will live as one.
~ John Lennon
It is approximately 6:10 a.m. when I am awakened by the irritating, incessant ring of my telephone. Who could possibly be calling at such an early hour? What could be so important that it can't wait until a reasonable hour? Still half asleep, I put an end to the irritating ringing and in the most pleasant voice I can muster, I politely answer, "Hello."
"Tia, this is mom. Wake up. Something happened. We're being attacked. The World Trade Centers have been hit by airplanes. Get up and turn on the news."
I got out of bed and immediately turned the news on. Instant fear filled my entire being. What is happening? How could this happen? Who did this? Why? Who's next? And when?The lives of 301,139,947 Americans would forever be changed, some more proufoundly than others and in ways they never imagined possible. How, as a nation, could we ever find the strength to make it through the darkness?
September 11, 2008
As I visit the many memorials, tributes, and web sites created to commemorate the lives of those lost on that fateful day seven years ago...as I read about the individuals who risked their lives to save another only to lose theirs in the end...as I view pictures of the children left without a father, a mother, or both...my heart still aches. People who started their day like any other - work, school, shopping, a walk around the park, a cross-country trip to Los Angeles or San Francisco - with the thought not even entering their mind that it would be the last time they would ever see their family again.
Today, seven years later, I hold my breath at the sound of an airplane high above and ask myself, What has happened? How could this have happened? Who did this? Why? Who's next? And when?
To all those lost on that fateful day, to all the heroes who so selfishly gave the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, and to those still fighting for our safety, security and freedom, I send to you my respect, my thoughts, and my prayers.
