The day that changed the world forever ...

9/11 ...

It is a date that no one will ever forget.

Each and every one of us will remember the exact place we were when we heard what happened.

Each and every one of us have emotions that run through our very core when we relive that very moment.

Some of us lost someone ...

Some of us experienced the devastation ... first hand ... that tore through our country ...

But one thing is for sure ...

All of our lives changed at that very moment ...

Forever.

As nieve as it sounds ... up until 9-11 happened ... 10 years ago.  My world was still peaches and cream.  My world was still crayons and rainbows.  My world did not really realize that such evil and hatred existed out there.  To me ... there were no terrorist.  There were no people out there that wanted to kill a whole country.  To me ... someone "bad" was someone that sold drugs ... or kidnapped little children ... or low lifes that beat their wives.  That was the "bad people" in my eyes.

Then ... on 9-11-01 ... my world ... my kids world ... my Nation changed ... in a blink of an eye.

I had just given birth to my first born about two months prior to 9-11 ... and suddenly I was responsible for this little creation that God had given me.  I was suspose to take care of her ... and protect her from the "bad people" in this world.  I was suspose to make her feel safe ... then suddenly ... as I layed in our king sized bed ... with her cuddled up next to me ... as we layed their watching Seasme Street ... Clint called ... and "bad people" took on a whole new meaning to me.

I remember the paniced tone in Clint's voice as he asked me if I had heard what had happened.  I remember staring down at Breeanna suddenly ... wondering how I was still suspose to protect her ... when our Nation was under attack.  I remember scrambling for the TV remote ... and franticially changing the station.  Suddenly ... Bert and Ernie on Seasme Street seemed like it was the only safe place to be.  Every station I flipped to had the Twin Towers on it ... with smoke filling the sky.  Each station that I kept turning to ... made me cry that much harder.  Every paniced interview that I watched ... made me squeeze Breeanna that much tighter.

I did not know what to do.

Panic took over me.

All I could do was cry.

Cry ... hystrically.

Cry ... like I have never cried before.

All I wanted was for Clint to come home and hold Breeanna and I ... and tell us that everything was gonna be ok.

I wanted to be able to believe him ... that everything was gonna be ok.

But was it all gonna be ok?!?!?!

Suddenly ... my lollipops and sunshine world ... was no more.

And it would never be that way again ...

Ever.

Suddenly ... all of these brave soldiers would be loading up ... leaving their loved ones ... and going over seas ... to protect me and my loved ones.  They were going to battle ... and no one was certain of the outcome to any of it.

These amazing people were putting their lives on the line ... to defend the honor of the United States.  They did not have to ... but they did it without a second thought.

How are we even suspose to thank these unbelievable men and women that stood up ... to protect us???  And our children???  And our country???  So many of them have lost theirs lives ... fighting for our country's freedom.  So many of them have given up so much ... just for little 'ol me (and you ... and you ... and you) to be able to walk down the street safely.

Each and every one of them are HERO's in my eyes.

Every.

Single.

One.

Of.

Them.

Every year when 9-11 rolls around ... I will always be taken back to that exact moment of fear and panic that I experienced on that day.  I will always reflect back on those that have lost their lives ... and their loved ones that were left behind.  I will always thank my lucky stars for the brave soldiers that went over and fought for our freedom.

One thing is for sure ... 9-11 made me realize that I am truely blessed.  Not only to I live in the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave ... but I have 3 amazing children, a husband that loves me unconditionally and a family that would go to the end of the world and back for me.

God Bless America.

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