I will never forget...

I will never forget:
My alarm going off to bizarre reports of fire being reported
Rushing to the tv to see a smoking tower in NY
Watching a plane crash into a building in front of my eyes
Seeing the impossible, two towers crumble like a deck of cards
Knowing thousands were gone in the blink of an eye
Seeing a side of the Pentagon collapse in
Looking at a fiery hole in the Earth put there not by terror, but by bravery
I still hear my Mom's voice on the phone, the fear because somewhere my father was flying that day
I know the panic of my sister coming from school to sit and wait and watch
I remember the need to connect to the people you love so deep and profound that it was the only thought you could sustain
I remember the relief of hearing my Mom say that my Dad's plane had been grounded in Atlanta
And the sadness of knowing that for many such relief would never come
I remember the shock
the disbelief
the sorrow
the sense of helplessness
the anger
the love I saw that day
and the patriotism I saw born from it
I remember that on this day a decade ago, I changed,my country changed, our world changed forever.

This week I have watched a lot of documentaries on September 11th, and while there have been so many moments that I felt touched and enlightened by these stories one statement stood out to me more than any other

One of the survivors of the attacks that day who went through what can only be described as hell to survive stated, "The world saw only the evil of the world that day, but for those of us who were inside the tower, we saw the good." I will carry those words always when I think of this day.

I know the attacks were meant to cripple our nation, send fear into our hearts, and destroy our sense of country, they did just the opposite. Those horrible actions and the sacrifice that the victims and their familes endured that day, did something those planes stated. On that day, we were American and we were United. Ten years later, I am proud of my country, and so grateful to my nation, that we rose from the ashes of that day without forgetting the thousands who didn't get that chance. So today, remember to tell the people you love what they mean to you, because when they were faced with death, that was what the victims wanted to do, so honor them, and remember that only love survives even in death.

The first day of school...

Tomorrow is officially the first day of school! There truly is no other day like it. I've always hated the last night before school starts because its one filled with anxiety for me. When I was a student; I'd spend hours getting ready, stress myself out about what I was going to wear, worry about how my teachers would be, wonder if my friends were going to be in my classes, ect. Tonight that will still hold true, except I will be worry about how my students will act, and wondering if the coworkers I like will have the same free period as me.

On the flip side I am anxious to get into it. Excited by the possibility of what I will learn about the world and myself this year. Anxious to meet 120 new people who will become part of my daily life for the good and the bad. I am wondering what the year holds for me, and know that someone or something I encounter in my classroom will better me, test me, and push me to think...that why I do what I do. The possibilities are endless, and that makes me both anxious and excited.

This year I am not the only one walking the line of anxiety and excitement. Two of my nephews will be headed to kindergarten tomorrow morning. I can see that their parents are also feeling torn between the anxiety of what this new world will be like, and the excitement of watching their child grow and explore.

See these two playful guys:

They are headed off to school tomorrow. Even though I feel anxious a bit for them both, I know they are going to do great. Grant and Jack I can't wait to hear all about your first days, and to see what you both think of school. I am sure your teachers will adore you! I can't wait to see your 1st day of school pictures and hear your story. There really is no day quite like the first day of school...and this one is an extra special one for you both. Congratulations guys, I love you!