Just like everyone else, I remember exactly where I was when the attacks happened. I was in my first semester of nursing school at Emory University. The nursing building was brand new at the time and equipped with all of the latest technological gadgets in each lecture room. As I walked down the hall that morning I noticed a small group of students and a couple professors standing in one of the lecture rooms watching the screen on the front wall of a lecture hall. I walked in and saw a huge picture of the first tower smoking. Honestly, I am embarrassed to admit how naive I was at the time. I had never heard of the Twin Towers or the World Trade Center. I had never visited New York. I had absolutely no concept of the size of the buildings or the magnitude of what we were watching. I just remember listening to everyone talk and trying to understand what was going on. The truth is that everyone was trying to figure out what was going on to some degree. No one could have guessed that a second plane would hit minutes later. I do remember asking one professor, "How come the building hasn't collapsed?" I could tell she was startled by the question and she just responded that the buildings were huge compared to an airplane and that the building wouldn't fall. At this point it was time for class to begin and we all filed into the adjacent rooms to begin our clinicals. About 30 minutes into the clinicals, a professor came running into the room and said, "We're evacuating right now. Get out!" I just remember being frightened by her intensity. We all gathered our things as fast as we could and went home without a further word. I later learned that the school was frightened, especially the nursing school, because we were directly across the street from the CDC. Once everyone pieced together that the nation was under attack, there was a thought that the CDC may be a target. I went back to my apartment that morning and turned on the tv. My roommate, a friend and I sat in stunned silence in front of the tv from mid morning until early evening when we could take it no longer. It was unbearable to watch it all unfold but yet we couldn't turn away. I made phone calls to my Mom and Dad a few times throughout the day. I remember my sister wanting me to come home from college but I stayed. I felt so badly for my roommate who had lost her mother just a few months earlier. I'm sure she must have wanted to call her mom for comfort and understanding too.
I think I understand more of the horror of that day the older that I get. I have since come to understand the symbolism that the Twin Towers held. Now that I have a husband and children of my own, I can begin to imagine the devastation that would be felt in losing one of them. Certainly I understand more about humanity. I could never have imagined the depth of evil that is so present in our world. However, I could also not comprehend the amount of strength and faith that is present. I am confident that the Christ who conquered death will also win the battle in the end. While I am steeped in my Christian faith, I have also learned about others faith. I am grateful for the opportunity to visit a mosque when I was in seminary. After the attacks on Sept 11, some would have had me believe that all Muslims were not only capable but were also encouraged to perform such evil acts. The Muslims inside the mosque were fully devoted to God and were full of peace and love. While I have continued to learn and grow through these10 years, I pray that I will never forget the events of that day or the courage, bravery and faith that were witnessed.
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