This is a journal entry that I wrote on 9/11.
The big question everyone is asking today is, "Where were you? What were you doing ten years ago today?" This was the day as the country song says, "when the world stopped turning."
I was at BYU. That morning, as I was walking to my first class of the day, I remember running into one of my neighbors, Dinah, who was heading home. She stopped me and asked, "Have you seen the news?" She told me what little she knew, and I continued to my class. I had no idea what I was about to encounter. While many classes were cancelled due to the events unfolding on T.V., my education professor continued on with class, giving us an impromptu lesson on how to react and help students deal with tragedies. After class, I hurried home and joined the rest of America in watching the tragedy on T.V. I remember being glued to the T.V. for hours and even though I knew that none of my loved ones were near the terrible things happening on the other side of the country, I had an overwhelming need to hear the voices of all of my family and know that they were safe.
I remember in the aftermath of 9/11 being overwhelmed by the evil that was unleashed that day but also overcome by the patriotism, heroism and brotherly love that arose also. It was as if, for a small moment, we set aside our differences and became a united family. It was a terrible and wonderful time for our country.
Today marks the tenth year anniversary of that fateful day. It is crazy to think that it has been ten years. It doesn't seem like it was that long ago. But so much has happened since then. I graduated from BYU, went on to get my Master's from the U of U, taught middle school for eight years, got married, had two babies...the world started turning again. Most of the kids in school right now were babies or not even born yet when 9/11 happened. To them, it's just something to be studied in history class.
I will never forget 9/11 or the things I learned from that experience. And, as I sit here in a hospital room with my baby, I don't think I will ever forget this day and these experiences either. Years from now, I will still remember where I was for the tenth anniversary of 9/11.
Being at Primary Children's hospital has really opened our eyes to the difficult trials others have to face and to the amazing people out there serving and helping other people through their trials.
At the hospital, they have a short LDS sacrament meeting, so Nic and I decided to go to that. It was like a deep breath of fresh air for us. The spirit was so strong and wonderful. I have felt the spirit in different ways, depending on my needs. Today I felt the spirit as strength. As I looked around at the other people in the room and thought about the wide range of hardships and heart ache being faced by each individual in that room, my heart was impressed by the strength of the human spirit, the power in our souls that comes from being children of God. We struggle, we cry, we stumble here and there, but, with God's help, we push forward.
As they've shown images on T.V. from 9/11, I've been remembering the devastation, the overwhelming sorrow from that day. But we have moved forward and have become stronger. The really hard trials leave scars that can still hurt years later, but they can also leave strength and growth.
I like a comment someone said on my FaceBook. She said, "The miracle of children is their innate capacity to overcome. They know nothing of fear and failure. They are indomitable spirits that are strengthened by the knowledge of their spiritual history that the veil hasn't closed on yet."
I love that! Mark is definitely an indomitable spirit straight from God! And everyday I'm learning from him.
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