I remember September 11, 2001--and it is a day I'd much rather forget (but, somehow, I CAN'T). Just the day before we got a new kid in our class, and the kid happened to be Arabic. (Fahid's her name.) The next day, Mrs. Hemingway told us what had happened, and I felt physically sick to my stomach. I felt especially bad because WE HAD JUST BEEN TO THE TWIN TOWERS JUST TWO MONTHS EARLIER. We had JUST seen them.
I looked at the faces of my classmates. All were as stunned as I was, and some of them began to cry, especially me. I was scared because I was sure the planes would hit us next. I'd be in school, and there'd be a big boom, and----
I then looked at Fahid. She sat there like a scared little rabbit. I wondered what was going through her mind...I then looked at the other kids, and some of them were moving their desks away from Fahid, as though she had just gotten some sort of contagious disease (smallpox? measles?). Some of the kids had ugly sneers on their faces as they stared at Fahid.
Mrs. Hemingway tried her best to hide the fact that she was upset over what had happened, but she wasn't doing a good job.
Neither was I. My asthma was starting to kick up; I found it hard to breathe. (I knew I'd need my inhaler soon.) Mrs. Hemingway asked me if I was okay; I told her I was. (I wasn't, really.) And the tears wouldn't stop flowing down my face. I was crying too hard....
Around 11 my teacher said school was to be cancelled in light of what had happened. She said that she'd gotten ahold of our families to come and pick us up.
I got home from school around 12:30; we had gone to McDonald's, but I could only pick at my food. None of us were really hungry. All I kept thinking of was all those innocent people who had died because of some bad people who wanted nothing more than to hurt us here in America because we were free and they were NOT. I was also thinking about Fahid and her family. They had just moved to America from Saudi Arabia, and, like the terrorists, they were Muslim (what MUST be going through THEIR minds? I kept thinking). I then went to my room and CRIED. I was sick to my stomach, and I threw up a couple of times when I thought of what had happened in New York City, Washington D. C., and Pennsylvania. Thousands of innocent people died a horrible death, and for WHAT?? I couldn't understand what was happening to America....
That night we went to church. It was packed full of people. Pastor Bilkey was there, and he told all of us to pray for America and her people, and to pray for the families who'd lost loved ones in the terrorist attacks. He also told us to pray for the evildoers (which I found hard to do, but I did it, anyway; after all, JESUS prayed for HIS enemies...). There was much crying and wailing going on, but I MUST say the Lord's Presence was VERY STRONG that night; and it wasn't long before I felt at peace. I knew Jesus was in control of the situation, and that brought a sense of comfort to me.
It is now 8 months later, and I am STILL keeping America and her people in my prayers. I am also praying for the President and the people in government, that they get these bad terrorists--AND STOP THEM IN THEIR TRACKS!!!! PERMANENTLY!!!! I have been doing a lot of writing and soul-searching, and I believe this will make us stronger as a Nation. We HAVE gotten nearer to God because of September 11, 2001, and I really feel good when I see so many people praying and seeking God.
Because I know who is going to win in the end--and it's NOT going to be Osama bin Laden or any other terrorists.
The winner? Jesus Christ. Good ALWAYS wins over evil in the end.
THAT is why I must NEVER forget September 11, 2001--the day America was savagely attacked. But you want to know something? Eight months later AMERICA IS STILL STANDING---STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE!!!! :)
This is a strong piece too, I have written a few about this myself. I was haunted by this in the fact that a death in the family saved me from going to Florida a month before and September 11th, 2001, would of been the day that I would been returning from there.
Reviewed by Kate Clifford
5/21/2002
Good strong write about what you went through on that horrible day.
RIGHT ON THE MONEY!!! Great write. IF WE ARE AFRAID TO CARRY ON WITH OUR LIVES, the terrorists have won. THEY AIN'T GONNA WIN. Put your fear in the Lord's Hands. He ain't gonna let you down.
