As with any war there are known heroes and unsung heroes, there are those who live to pay tribute and those who give their all so that we can continue to live in the land that our forefathers built on the premise of Liberty & Freedom.  For me 9/11 was a war but it was a sneak attack and the soldiers that day weren’t those who had volunteered for a branch of military service.  While they were wives, mothers, fathers, husbands, brothers, sons, daughters, americans just like our Armed Forces they weren’t government servants sworn and paid to protect me. These were innocent bystanders who gave their all unknowingly and unwillingly as the events of that day forever changed the face of our country.

I was on a plane on 9/11. My take off from BWI was uneventful and very early. My first stop was Cincinnati where I changed planes again uneventfully bound for team training events in Colorado and Idaho. Flight was business as usual until the pilot came on the loudspeaker and said  “You may notice we have changed our course”.  I was sitting by the window and remember thinking – it all looks the same to me. What he said next though stopped everyone cold. I had never heard silence so thick you could cut as the saying goes. “We are being rerouted to Kansas City and deplaning, Every airport is America is being shut down” That’s it – no explanation – just that statement.  It didn’t matter how old you were american or foreigner – you knew that had NEVER happened. People sat in silence for a very long time. It was not until we were on approach to Kansas City that the whispering, tears, “oh no’s” and more started as people were texting, calling, etc.  By the time the plane landed we knew but most of us had not seen pictures. The majority deplaned and headed straight for any TV they could find. Groups were huddled around every TV in the airport. Some made hotel reservations, others went in search of their bags.  Baggage became as nightmare as the number one goal was grounding planes and disembarking passengers.  A plane would land disembark passengers and any bags it could until the next plane was ready to reach the gate. This meant there were piles of bags every where. When gates were free they would bring planes back to unload more luggage. The airport looked like a baggage dump and airplane parking lot.

I spent the day at Kansas airport working with 1 airline stewardess and 1 national guard member pulling bags from carousels and doing our best to sort them into piles by flight numbers.  It felt good to just be doing something.  8 hours later I headed to the hotel and the unknown wait of when I could return home.  It was hard during the days that followed not to have the TV on 24/7.  It was hard not being with family when you just wanted to be held but it was nothing I know compared to the agony those directly involved were feeling.  Finally after 3 days while on the phone I tearfully asked Doug to come get me – I really didn’t want to be away any longer. Doug and his father drove non stop from Pennsylvania to pick me up.  I really wish on the way home I had thought to have my camera out. It was enough just to be in my husbands and father in laws presence.  But the flags, the signs – – – so many. A show of support for the country I love that I had never seen in my lifetime and I am a child of the military and an Army Vet.  It was amazing the love felt for our country. But I found it sad at the same time that it took an attack on our own soil to bring that out – where was the love and support for our soldiers everywhere. The other thing I remember about the ride home was obvious lack of contrails – the whispy tails of smoke left in the sky by planes. There were so few of them that when you did see them the contrails were like ribbons of hope in the sky. 

This frame is one I immediately put together the week I came home. It was created with inspirational postcards I had found while trying to stay busy in Kansas City. I wrote a letter to my kids on the back of the frame. It was important to me to let them know they were loved and to have a tangible letter for them to be able to read. In a few short days life had become so fragile and precious. I pray we never have a wake up call like that again to remind us to kiss our kids goodnight, to say goodbye with a hug when we leave for work, to put our hands over our hearts when we Pledge Allegiance to our FLAG, and proudly salute and support the soldiers and their families who voluntarily protect my right to post this and share my story.  GOD BLESS AMERICA land that I LOVE!

Crafting Joy
JANET