Three Years Ago Today

A prayer for all those who lost their friends and loved ones on 11 September 2001.

Three years ago, Ian was working at the Associated Press in Washington DC. The story unfurled when Ian called and told me to turn on the TV after the first plane had impaled the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. I remember telling him right then that it was no accident. Someone had intentionally caused this heartache. As we spoke, the nation exploded when South Tower was hit, followed by the Pentagon. Another plane went down and no one knew if it was part of the disaster or a coincidental disaster all its own.
Later we would learn that United Flight 93 was part of the attack, only something got in the way and it crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. We learned that it was most likely headed towards Washington, possibly aimed at the Capitol. The Capitol is only a few blocks from the AP office. The plane went down killing all the passengers on board. It hit nothing and no one.
It was later that day I learned my uncle was on that plane that crashed in Shanksville. My dad's sister had married a wonderful man and they have two amazing kids. My aunt has persevered through pain I can only imagine and my cousins have thrived through their loss.
Over the following days and weeks the pieces came together through cell phone calls from Flight 93, how the passengers knew what happened on the ground and how they decided to do something, anything. No one will ever know what really occurred, but we do know the plane did not go where it was intended.
My uncle was on that plane, the plane that was headed for where my husband was on 11 September 2001. Amid the losses that day, there were miracles and I consider his presence there, his knowledge as a pilot, and the strength of all those passengers to be a miracle for our family.
Through their sacrifice my husband came home.
We miss you, Don.