I remember the sunrise that morning 15 years ago from my window seat of Northwest Flight 1180 from Detroit to Hartford.  I remember later thinking about all those people who saw the same beautiful sunrise that I saw.  

I’ve been so depressed all week.  I can’t imagine what it must be like for those directly affected.  I watch these people on television and it makes my heart break. There are people looking for their missing relatives and loved ones.  And all those fire fighters and police officers who died when the tower collapsed…giving their lives for their fellow Americans without a moments hesitations - running towards the burning building while others were running away. I can’t describe the way I feel except to say that I’m sick.  And scared.  And sad.  And angry.  And thankful.  

If any good has come of this, it has brought our country and the world together.  People from all over the world are offering their sympathy, their prayers and their support for the USA.  

Bruce had a dozen roses here for me at the end of my 13 hour drive home from Hartford.  It brings tears to my eyes when I think about how scared and worried he must have been when he couldn’t get a hold of me. He was on business too and his plane was grounded in Indianapolis on it’s way to Minneapolis.  

I know I’ll never forget Glen from Solutia or Joya from Pilkington.  We had one hell of a dinner that night.  It’s the first time I’ve ever toasted to just being alive. I don’t know what’s to come and that is the scariest part.  Now we’re just waiting to see how the president retaliates. Waiting and praying…that’s all we can do.  God Bless the U.S.A."

One thing that I didn’t write about in that journal entry that I remember so clearly was the woman who worked at the parking garage at the Detroit Airport.  Glen, Joya and I were supposed to fly to Hartford for the day for business, and then back to Detroit where our cars were parked.  When the planes were grounded, our travel agents told us to basically steal our rental car and drive home, and they would deal with whatever fees there were for returning it late and to the wrong state…whatever it took to get us home.  So we took our rental car and drove the 13 hours back to Detroit, passing caravans of National Guard soldiers headed to New York. When we pulled into the parking Garage at Detroit Metro late on September 12, the parking attended looked at us with tears in her eyes and said “Welcome home.”  I just know that she’d been doing that all day long. 

I always have such mixed emotions on 09/11…sadness, anger still, but also thankfulness for all the good I saw in others that day and many days since then.  There was this feeling at the time that we are all in this together, and there for each other.  I remember as we walked through the streets that day looking for somewhere to eat after we had found a hotel, that strangers would look at each other and say “How are you doing? Are you OK?” and they really meant it.  

I also look forward each year to hearing from Glen.  He writes each year to see how Joya and I are doing.  I’ve enjoyed hearing about their lives each year…babies, marriages, grand-babies, new jobs….it’s good to hear that everyone is doing well.  I also weirdly wonder about the lady from the parking garage.  I hope she’s doing well too.