My Memories of September 11th

September 11, 2001.  My mother had been in Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, NJ since the day before when she was operated on for colon cancer. The news wasn’t good, it was going to be a hard day.

That morning was gorgeous. The sky was crystal blue, cloudless and there was no humidity; a perfect beach day. I was at my mom’s house getting ready to go over to the hospital when my sister called. “Turn on the TV, a plane has crashed into the World Trade Center”, she said.  “How awful.” She called again as the second plane hit and we realized like so many others that this wasn’t an accident.

As I drove the few miles to the hospital I turned on the radio to NJ 101.5. Jim Gerhart, the morning commentator was on and relaying bits and pieces of information as he received them.  No one knew what was happening.  It was chaotic. I remember praying out loud as I drove.

Up in my mother’s room the television was turned on to the horror going on across the river. The doctor came in and told us that our mother had just 9 to 18 month left to live; I remember that through this conversation she was trying to be very positive and comforting to us. It should have been the other way around but that was her way. The windows in her corner room faced the Atlantic Ocean to the east and NY City to the north. When we turned our heads to the left, we could see the smoke from the World Trade Towers in the distance. 

There was a little boat in the ocean. It was a beautiful day and the light was dancing across the water like little diamonds. I remember wondering if the people on board were oblivious to what was going on just across the river.

As we watched the first tower came down my mother said that what she was going through paled in comparison to what was happening in NY.

Later in the afternoon the hospital evacuated all patients with non- life threatening illnesses or injuries to make room for the patients from downtown Manhattan who never arrived.  As we bundled up our mom and took her home we noticed that the roads were empty. There were police saw horses set up on the side of the road waiting for the traffic jam that never happened.

After settling our mom in the recliner in her sunny great room, I drove back home. The looks on the faces of the few people on the road were pensive and tortured. As I drove over the Driscoll Bridge I could see the smoke in the distance and just for a moment I panicked that someone would blow up the bridge. 

Once home we were together as a family. We went to Immaculate Conception Church in Somerville, NJ and prayed for all those souls who were lost in NY, Washington and Pennsylvania. Several days after that, we began to attend the funerals. Around us everyone knew someone who was lost in this horrific terror attack.

We will never, ever forget that shocking day. September 11^th reminds me of my mother but it also reminds me of the day and the following days when we came together as a country to mourn our losses and to stand together in unity against tne cowards to tried to destroy us.

My Memories of September 11th

From 9/11 Museum. Antenna from World Trade Center tower in front of the shades of blue sky art display.

On September 11, 2001 our mom had been in Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, NJ since the day before when she was operated on for colon cancer. The news wasn’t good, it was going to be a hard day.

That morning was gorgeous. The sky was crystal blue, cloudless and there was no humidity; a perfect beach day. I was at my mom’s getting ready to go over to the hospital when my sister called. “Turn on the TV, a plane has crashed into the World Trade Center”, she said.  “How awful.”She called again as the second plane hit and we realized like so many others that this wasn’t an accident.

As I drove the few miles to the hospital I turned on the radio to NJ101.5. Jim Gearhart was on and relaying bits and pieces of information as he received them.  No one knew what was happening.  It was chaotic and I remember praying out loud as I drove.

Up in my mother’s room the television was turned on to the horror going on across the river. We were just told that she had only nine to eighteen months left to live and she was trying to be very positive and comforting to us. It should have been the other way around but that was her way. The windows in her corner room faced the Atlantic Ocean to the east and NY City to the north. When we looked to the left, we could see the smoke from the city skyline in the distance. There was a little boat in the ocean. The sunlight was dancing across the water like little diamonds and I remember wondering if the people on board were oblivious to what was going on just across the river.

As we watched as the first tower came down my mother said that what she was going through paled in comparison to what was happening in NY.

There are other things that I remember from that day like how my mom told me that her roommate who had just had a double mastectomy cried all night. Also, her roommate didn’t have insurance and therefore wasn’t given the little bucket of toiletries that all patients receive, so my mother gave her the lotion and powder from her own bucket. I also remember that a doctor came in while the news was on and made a distasteful comment about what was going on. When the plane crashed in Somerville, PA I panicked because my kids were in school in Somerville, N.J. So many bits and pieces from that fateful day.

I also remember that the hospital evacuated all patients with non- life threatening illnesses or injuries to make room for the patients from NY who never came.We bundled up our mom and drove her back home. The road was empty.

Three thousand souls were lost that day in NY, Washington and PA. May we always honor and remember them. The world changed forever on September 11, 2001.

My Memory of September 11, 2001

Eleven years ago I was in Monmouth Medical Center in NJ looking out of my mother’s hospital room window at the sparkling ocean to the east and the billows of smoke to the north. There was a boat not far from the shore line and I remember wondering if the driver realized that the world we knew a mere thirty minutes ago would never,ever return.

My mother was just given her own death sentence. The day before she had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor in her colon and was told she had 6 to 18 months to live. We were devastated as we watched the events of 9-11 unfold from her small hospital room television. As the towers imploded she said, “What I am going through is nothing compared to what is going on across the river.” The television quickly turned to the Pentagon and we watched the flames and horror in Washington D.C. Then, like so many others, we heard about the battle in the air over Shanksville, PA.

The hospital was cleared of all non-critical patients to make room for the victims of the terror attack. We were told that they would be arriving by ferry and then by ambulance. We bundled up my Mom and drove her home, all the while listening for the ambulances that would never arrive.

May God bless all the courageous souls that were lost that day and may God continue to bless our great country. May the Freedom Tower rise up to display to the world the continued strength, tenacity and resilience of the American people.

September 11, 2011

Ten years ago I was in Monmouth Medical Center in NJ looking out of my mother’s hospital room window at the sparkling ocean to the east and the billows of smoke to the north. There was a boat not far from the shore line and I remember wondering if the driver realized that the world we knew a mere thirty minutes ago would never,ever return.

My mother was just given her own death sentence. The day before she had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor in her colon and was told she had 6 to 18 months to live. We were devastated as we watched the events of 9-11 unfold from her small hospital room television. As the towers imploded she said, “What I am going through is nothing compared to what is going on across the river.” The television quickly turned to the Pentagon and we watched the flames and horror in Washington D.C. Then, like so many others, we heard about the battle in the air over Shanksville, PA.

The hospital was cleared of all non-critical patients to make room for the victims of the terror attack. We were told that they would be arriving by ferry and then by ambulance. We bundled up my Mom and drove her home, all the while listening for the ambulances that would never arrive.

May God bless all the courageous souls that were lost that day and may God continue to bless our great country. May the Freedom Tower rise up to display to the world the continued strength, tenacity and resilience of the American people.