Was she in the city? Was she hurt? Will I see her again? It was on the morning of Tuesday September 11, 2001, after the terrorist attacks had occurred on the World Trade Center. I remember my mom telling me that morning that she had a meeting in the city that day. Immediately after all the chaos had happened that morning, I was in study hall talking with my friends about what had just occurred. Everyone was saying that the city would never be the same and was going to need a long time to repair the damages. Then I thought about what my mom had said that morning. She was going into the city for a meeting! Her office is only two blocks away from the World Trade Center. Ideas were soaring through my head, was she in the city already, did she get hurt, is she O.K.? Nervously, I ran to the phone in the cafeteria to call home. Thank God my mom picked up the phone. I asked her if she was supposed to be in the city right now. She told me that her ride, coming from the city to pick her up, never showed and she was sitting there waiting for him to arrive at the house. I was so relived to hear her voice on the phone. But, she was confused on why I was so nervous. She had not turned on the T.V. or radio yet that day, and had no idea what had just happened in New York City. She quickly ran to the T.V. and was mortified at what she saw. We both could not believe it, what was our world coming to? My friends and I rushed home from school that day so we could watch the news, since the school did not permit the students to watch the news at all. We went through the entire day oblivious to what had really happened. My mom and I were glued to the T.V. the entire afternoon and night, as was the world. We felt the pain and horror that we saw on peoples’ faces on the news. I could never imagine having to run for my life because our famous World Trade Center had collapsed. I also could never imagine my life without my mom or family and I am truly thankful she was not in her meeting that morning. I will never forget the emotions I felt that day, and the people who are no longer with us. I never thought our world would come to what it did on September 11, 2001. Sadly it is the reason why our nation is bonding together so strongly, to once again make America strong and proud!

by SM age 17