A TRIBUTE TO SEPTEMBER 11 TH 2001
Moving from fear to courage
September 11th will hold a place in the minds of most Americans for a long time. In a matter of hours the peace of our great nation was shaken. As we watched on television what seemed to be a Hollywood movie with special effects, was all too real. In the weeks that followed our eyes were glued to the news stations, pictures of people hanging from windows horrified us. I personally woke screaming from dreams that seemed so real to me, that only prayers to God were able to sooth me. I heard of many similar dreams from friends and television reports.
As the weeks moved on I recalled many stories of courage, which helped me and I am sure many others to begin to heal. One story that holds dear to my heart is the report I saw months later on flight 93. Flight 93 was one of the hijacked planes, the report claimed that the plane was destined to attack either in Washington or Camp David. The plane took off late, by the time the hijackers took over flight 93 the other planes that were hijacked had already hit their targets. When I heard this report I marveled at the Lords hand in this. The hijackers had already killed the pilot and had told the people on the plane that they had been hijacked. It amazes me how the hijackers did not care that many of the people started to use their cell phones. They probably figured that there was no harm, who could they call the police? On this program that I was watching they told a story of a young man who called a telephone operator, they interviewed her. She said that this young man told her that they had been hijacked and that they knew they were to be used as a weapon by the terrorist. He said that some of the men had decided that they would rush and attack the terrorist in hopes to thwart their plans. Then he asked the woman to pray the Lords Prayer with him, and she did.
I am sure that day every person on that flight was initially filled with fear. My hopes are that Gods mercy and peace filled their hearts. And my heart will forever be grateful to those few young men who allowed their fears to be moved to courage ,in order to save the lives of probably thousands. I pray that in your lives and my own, that we as Americans will live our time here with courageous hearts. And that the legacy that we leave behind someday will make those left, be as proud of us, as we are of all who gave their lives on September 11th 2001.
Thank you to all the men and woman that rose above their own fears and reached out to someone around them.
A special thanks to all the FIREFIGHTERS and POLICE OFFICERS WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES THAT DAY.
May God Bless America the Land that we love
MaryAnn Baselice