What Carly had to say on Thursday, September 11th, 2008
I wanted to post an appropriate blog today to mark the day of our country’s most recent terrorist tragedy, a day no one will ever forget. Photos from the Internet seemed too distant. So I found photos from when Janelle and our friend Shannon Short and I took a trip to Ground Zero on July 19, 2003.
It’s hard to believe 7 years have passed. I am sure none of us will ever forget where we were that fateful day. Since there are no words, I am just going to share my photos and we can share (or not) our thoughts and prayers. Silent ones are just as welcome.
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Warm wishes for a Happy Birthday go out to Plotmonkey Pal, Ivette Valentin, today! We hope you have a fabulous, fun-filled day!
Carly Phillips would like to take 100% credit for all her stories but the truth is, Carly’s strength is writing family, emotion, funky elderly people and animals. She couldn’t plot her way out of a paper bag, which is why she smartly found her plotmonkey pals early on in her writing career. Thanks to their support, Carly is now a NYT Bestselling author of 23 plus novels. Because writing doesn’t keep her busy enough, Carly is also a wife, a mother of one preteen and one teenage daughter, the primary care giver of her soft coated Wheaten terrier and an expert carpool mom.
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Once Upon A Valentine
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Happy birthday Ivette!
What a touching tribute, and you’re right, it is a day we won’t forget. Today reminds me of all the wonderful people, heroes really, who gave what they could to help someone else in this time of tragedy. For some, the price was too high – they lost their lives – but their sacrifice won’t be forgotten.
God bless you all.
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Very nice tribute. Today is definitely a day to always be remembered. I give a silent prayer to all those closely related to that tragedy. It makes me proud to be an American and I feel the love and strength from all those around me. God bless everyone.
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By now my step-son is sitting in his office, looking out the window and watching whatever is going on. Maybe. He may not even go in today, although I doubt it.
You see, he is in one of the buildings directly across the street from the big hole in the ground (which is how we refer to it). They now live on another block kitty-corner from in and can see it from their living room window. Quite a view.
Until the bombing of 1999, their offices were in the trade center but the majority of the employees refused to go back unless they move, so they did. And Cantor Fitzgerald moved in. We all know what happened to them.
And then my husband and I spent 92 days working the whole thing. There are a few pictures, but not ones we share, since they were taken, for work, just a couple of days after.
Today is a bittersweet day for us. We mourn the losses- there is never any doubt about that. But we are also relieved that neither our son or daughter-in-law were in the buildings anymore and are still alive and able to give us the twins 3 years ago.
I won’t be watching much TV today.
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My boss and I got to work within minutes of the North Tower being hit and had just heard it on the radio. We spend the entire day watching the news, praying, and crying about all that was going on that day. My prayers are for everyone today, as everything changed with the terror attack. May God bless all the families that lost loved ones, those who are still suffering from injuries from helping out, and our soldiers who continue to fight for our freedom and safety.
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9-11 changed my life in so many ways. Not that i knew anyone that lost thier lives that day. My heart breaks for those familys. but im a soldiers wife and that changed our lives for sure. He was deployed to Iraq from Dec of 02 to April of 04 and his unit reports to duty again on Sept 22nd. I have 11 days left as a family for at least the next year. We have lost friends in Iraq that will never leave my mind and heart. Its definitely a day of rememberance in our house..
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I will never forget where I was that day. I didn’t know anyone who perished. My prayers go out to everyone who did.
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Thank you for the touching tribute.
My mother called us that morning and asked if we had seen the news. We didn’t have the television on or anything and our daughter was getting ready for school. We thought it was a normal day. I remember the shock, the horror of watching it unfold on television with that clear blue sky behind it. My sister-in-law at the time was on her way to work and saw the first plane go in. My brother-in-law worked for a catering service that supplied some of the businesses in that building. Fortunately he wasn’t there that morning but he had friends who perished.
For the rest of that week I couldn’t focus on anything. I remember painting the island in our kitchen, cleaning the house over and over again because I couldn’t even focus enough to read the paper. Writing was put on hold. Iwould turn off the television and walk away then five minutes later I turned it back on again. I kept hoping and hoping they would find someone alive in the rubble and I wanted to be there to see the rescue workers pull them out.
I cheered when I heard the first wave of bombers had been sent to Afghanistan. Between 911 and the time our country responded I felt like we were sitting ducks. I was afraid they might try to hit us again.
Everytime I see anything about 911 on television the same feelings come flooding back.
With all of our technology I don’t understand why we can’t find Bin Laden. The head of the hydra definitely needs to be cut off!!
My thoughts and prayers will be with all of the families who lost loved ones on that terrible day.
Cher
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I was a first responder to the Oklahoma City bombing. I lost some good friends from FDNY on 9-11. I know exactly what I was doing when both events happened. I can’t watch the news on either day. Yay for PTSD. Today I am going to write. I am going to give the characters in my head the HEA I wish I could give all the families, friends, and rescue personnel involved.
I leave everyone with a thought for today: Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars. ~Henry Van Dyke
Love well! Work hard! Play often! And stop to look at the stars every chance you get!
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Thank you Carly. I will never forget that day. I received a call from one of our employees on his way in. He was running late. That entire day was dealing with hearing from our employees and their families. We lost one person that day out of the 5 that were there. I still get emotional thinking about it.
Happy Birthday Ivette!
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I always have a tough day on this day. I remember I was driving home from joining Curves *which didn’t work out all that well* and I heard about a plane hitting the towers and I thought, “a prop plane.” I got home and put on the TV. If you remember, we didn’t know what was really happening, so I started to call my husband in Queens and it took forever to reach him because everyone was trying to reach someone in the city. I called school to take my girls home early, and was told no, the school was locked and it would be fine. Later, my oldest was upset because other kids were leaving. Of course the office didn’t mention that. And ever since, it’s one of my waking thoughts when I put on the TV and they do weather and show the skyline of NYC.
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And I can’t NOT watch the names because those people shouldn’t be feeling the pain alone. So every year, I watch. And cry.
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I live in Oklahoma City too, and I remember driving to work that morning listening to the radio when they cut in with the news. They thought a helicopter had crashed into the Pentagon. My heart goes out to everyone today. We’ve been there. We know.
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It’s so eerie when you think, that it was a beautiful September day in NY, very much like today. That thought crossed my mind as my children left for school today.
That day, I was cleaning my house and had the TV on in the background, when my sister called in a panic telling me to turn on the TV. We watched in horror, I could look out my window across to Manhattan and see clouds of black smoke. Not sure if this was the beginning of war, I ran to my children’s school, which was on lock down, and didn’t leave until they were released to me. I remember my entire community flocking to church that night, just to pray and light candles, and cry.
In the weeks that followed I attended 3 funerals, 2 friends and 1 family were lost to us, all 3 were FDNY. So today for me is thinking about their wives, parents, and children. Tonight we will attend a candle light vigil…pray for those lost, and thank God for those who came home safely
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Happy Birthday Ivette!
To anyone with family members that parished on that fateful day or for the men and women fighting for the cause, God Bless You. You are in my prayers daily and I will never forget.
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OMG! So many of you were so close. I am on the West Coast. I was up early that day–my husband had asked for a divorce the Sunday before and I was not sleeping well.
I turned on the T.V. and saw the second plane hit live. I stayed in bed watching T.V. calling friends and family. My best friend’s husband was a traffic controller at Langley. They were in the hospital as on the 9th she had just given birth. They were on base, so he had to leave her bedside and rush to work. She sent him as it was the least she could do to help other families. I still am in awe of her selflessness and strength. I could tell you more of her heroic actions, but that is for another day.
I will never forget not only the lives lost, but the great people like Silver who responded to help others.
May you all hold someone close to you. I offer a prayer for everyone in this great country and especially–you friends here at the jungle.
Thank you for sharing your stories.
Much love and affection–Debbie
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OOPS!
Ivette.
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God bless all to those who lost family, friends & coworkers, & to those who helped who now have illnesses for performing such compassionate & loving work. May it never happen again, to the U.S.A. or any nation.
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Thank you for the photos and reminder, Carly! I’ll be praying today.
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I remember feeling confused and lost. A friend called and told me what was happening. I turned on the TV briefly but I had to leave to go get ready for a party we were having that night. We were supposed to have our Michael Jordan Celebrity Golf Classic Volunteer Appreciation dinner that night.
As I drove my car around the bypass of my town the radio station reported that a plane had apparently hit the Pentagon and that another plane was missing. I remember looking around at the farm land and wide open spaces around me and being so confused. This was America, we were supposed to be safe from this type of thing. It wasn’t supposed to happen here. Being so far removed from it I had a really difficult time accepting that it was truly happening.
My son is 13 and he still has a really difficult time going into big (especially tall) buildings. He was a ring bearer in the National Cathedral in April 2002 and we had to walk the entire paremeter, so that he could see it was safe, before he would go inside it.
Ev – I’m so thankful your son and daughter-in-law are ok!!!
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Thanks for the tribute Carly. My son, who has always wanted to be a firefighter, was 9 when this happened. When we talked about it all that day and in the days following, we asked him if what happened didn’t change his mind about what he wanted to be when he grew up. His answer was “No, it only makes me want to do it more.” At age 16 now, he’s still committed to being a firefighter, and even talks about going to FDNY. No matter where he ends up, I’m so proud of him and his desire to help others. Just like all those firefighters, police, and emergency services people that day who rushed in to help. I am eternally grateful to them, and my thoughts and prayers go out to their families and the families of all the victims that day.
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Hi everybody, I know I have been missing in action for a bit, but I will try to come by more often now…
Carly, that was a nice tribute…this date is always hard for me to handle…I can’t wait to see the memorial when it is done…
Happy Birthday Ivette…I hope that you have a great time today…
Peace and love,
Paula R.
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I wrote this last year, on the anniversary of this tragic event, and I wanted to share it with you all…
A Moment of Silence
(in Memoriam 9-11-01)
By Paula Robinson
The day dawns, dark and damp
with a chill to the air
The wind is at a standstill
the whispering of leaves quieted
as if demonstrating a subtle moment of silence
Stillness is pervasive and the quiet is overwhelming
seeping into the very fiber of our existence
There is a subtle pause
As we remember
for we will never forget
the tragedy that occurred on this date
Six years may seem like a lot
but the pain is as real as if it were today
Anger and resentment festers within some
while others vocalize their sorrow
Teardrops fall from the heavens
cleansing the earth
symbolizing our desire to have the tragic events washed away
Our pain runs deep
and the scab, though present, is not completely healed
So let’s all stand in a moment of silence
and try to ease the indelible ache within us
Peace and love,
Paula R.
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What a beautiful poem
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The words “Lets roll” took on a new meaning that day too. I was one of the lucky people who had friends in the Pentagon that escaped uninjured. My heart goes out to all of the families that lost a member and those who were injured that day. :pray:
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It’s hard to believe that it’s been 7 years. I can still remember that day like it was yesterday. I feel the tears starting to fall as I’m writing this because it still hurts my heart. I can only imagine what the families and friends of the fallen heroes are going through today. My thoughts and prayers go out to each and everyone of them. :pray:
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My thoughts and prayers today include all the families affected by the events
of September 11! God bless you all!
My prayers also include my fellow Houstonians and all in the region who are
facing a visit from Hurricane Ike. God bless us all!!
Happy Birthday to Ivette!!!
Pat Cochran
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Beautiful, beautiful poem, Paula. Thank you for sharing it with us today! :hug2:
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Great tribute, Carly!
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Happy birthday, Ivette – and what a nice tribute, Carly.
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It’s so eerie when you think, that it was a beautiful September day in NY, very much like today.
I was at work and just put my headphones on to listen to Regis & Kelly and Diane Sawyer was talking about the first plane and the next thing I know she was screaming that the second plane hit.
Where my mom works in her bldg. 22 floors they let them go and she picked up my son at school he was 5 at the time. She said when she left work it was so eerie.
We live in Connecticut
Beautiful poem Paula
To anyone with family members that parished on that fateful day or for the men and women fighting for the cause, God Bless You. You are in my prayers daily and I will never forget.
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Carly, thanks for the tribute. Even though none of us can or will ever forget what happened on 9/11 I think many Americans have lost the passion they had after that day. There aren’t as many flags displayed and people have gone back to their “me” ways. Hopefully on this anniversary they are reminded how precious life is and how lucky we are to live in America. God Bless all the families that lost someone on that day and those that have men and/or women serving our country. :pray:
Paula, thanks for sharing your beautiful poem.
Thanks to all of you for sharing your thoughts & memories.
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Aack!! Forgot to wish Ivette a Happy Birthday!!
Cher
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Thanks for sharing your photos, Carly. You are right that what happened will not be forgotten. My uncle is a retired NYC firefighter who had moved down to Virginia only a year before it happened. The man he trained to replace him was among those who lost their lives when the buildings fell. I got to meet all the firefighters at his old station house the following year when I went with him and my aunt up to NYC for the firefighters’ christmas party.