[ September 11, 2001 ]

I know this is a few days late, but life has been busy with school, cheer, and the Fall Festival this weekend! I've been thinking a lot about what I wanted to write about September 11th - just finally getting a chance to do it!

I, like so many Americans, remember exactly where I was and most of the other details of that day. Of course, like others, it was day filled with the unknown and with much trepidation. However, that day, for me and my family, just compounded those same feelings we'd already been experiencing.

Just 13 days prior to September 11th, my Dad was in a terrible accident which left him in the ICU with burns on 60% of his body, our livelihood completely lost, and our family spread across the state of Washington. I remember already feeling helpless and hopeless on September 11th, jut to be woken up with the words "America is under attack."

Thankfully, my Dad recovered and is back to nearly normal - but he and America will never be the same. I reflected so much on September 11th this year - we had an assembly at school to recognize the members of the Connell Police Department, Connell Volunteer Firefighters, and Connell EMTs and I just realized that these students were just children 7 years ago. It is so important for us to "never forget" and to keep remembering the pride we felt to be Americans in the days following September 11th.