Where were you when the world stopped turning?

"Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day?"

I think that's a question we won't ever forget how to answer. For those of us who were old enough to remember and to understand what happened, it's a memory that will forever cut deeply into our hearts and minds...a memory we will be able to vividly share with our loved ones in generations to come.

I was in school at the time. 5th grade. I was sitting in Mrs. Henesy's class and someone was talking to us about getting involved with school banking and helping with the school store. That's when the news was passed that something terribly wrong was happening and we were all getting sent home. I went to my homeroom and sat at my desk, crying. I remember there were kids just messing around and yelling in excitement because they got to leave school, but I was scared out of my mind. I knew my dad was away at a re-enactment and, when Aurielle and I got on the bus, all we could think was, "What about daddy? He doesn't know! They don't have TV or anything there and phones don't work...how will he know? Is he okay?" We bawled the whole way home. But when we ran inside with tear-filled eyes, there was our dad, watching the news with our mom. Our parents told us everything would be alright and told us to go upstairs and watch TV and eat our packed lunches (that we obviously didn't get to eat at lunch). I will never forget the fear I had for my dad who wasn't at home...and, knowing that he was in a place that was not even struck by this disaster, I can't imagine how anyone must have felt who had loved ones in New York...in the two towers.

And then, for time to follow, I was scared to go outside. A lot of us were afraid. But I was told that we had to show them we were strong and we hadn't been defeated...so we were told to go outside, to play, to come together and never let something like that tear apart ourselves or our country.

Today will be a day of heavy thoughts and prayers for all of America. We won't forget.

Where were YOU when the world stopped turning?