On Sept. 11, 2001, the most tragic event this country has ever seen took the lives of 2,996 Americans, all of which were sons and daughters, and many of which were parents themselves.
As parents, we never want to see the day where our child is removed suddenly and tragically from our lives, but on Sept. 11, that is what happened to many parents across the world.
Tracy Valenzuela, 56, and mother of three, described where she was and how she felt that day.
“I was trying to put my three kids from the ages one to four down for a nap when the boxed Sony TV in my room revealed a building on fire. At first glance, I thought it was a movie until I saw a man jumping from the window of the top floor. Then my mind came to the assumption of just a horrible accident.”
Then the second plane hit. Reporters acknowledged it as a terrorist attack.
“As a mother, I grabbed my kids and started praying for all the other mothers whose sons or daughters were inside. I couldn’t imagine if it was my kids involved,” said Tracy.
The South Tower collapsed at approximately 9:59 a.m. The North Tower followed it at 10:28 a.m. It took the lives of nearly everyone inside. Twenty years later, this country is still mourning over the lives lost and reflecting on how life was before.
Danny Valenzuela, 59, responded emotionally when asked about how he looks back on his life after the Sept. 11 attack.
“I think of my granddaughter who is the same age that my middle daughter was when 9/11 happened. To think I have made it to see my granddaughter, but the loved ones whose lives were taken that day never made it to see their grandkids – that breaks my heart,” Danny said. “It may have happened twenty years ago, but the families who lost loved ones deal with it every day. Incidents like this make me hug my kids a little harder each day because we are never promised another day.”
Being a parent takes so much responsibility already. Parents worry about their child’s health, whether they are being bullied, and if they are happy and frequently reminded how loved they are.
But when tragedies like 9/11 happen, it makes parents second guess their parenting ability. It makes parents question if they tell their kids they love them enough, and it reminds them that another day is not promised.
Photo by Liane Metzler on Unsplash