Remembering

Ten years ago, during my second year in law school, after taking my walk, I had walked into my apartment on West Franklin Street in Richmond that I shared with my dearest friend Jenny Markham.
I turned on the Today Show, and Katie Couric was explaining what they knew (which was nothing) about a fire in the World Trade Center ... and then it turned into knowledge that it was a plane. And sure enough, a few minutes later, the second plane. And then we all just knew. I know what chair I sat in that day in our little apartment. I know I tried to get a hold of Jenny, and of Bill, who were both in class ... and just wishing I could be with someone. We had computers and the internet in our classes (both at Richmond, and Bill at UVA), so we were all on IM (that was the big thing then, Pre-Facebook and texting - yes, there was a pre-facebook time!) I know I talked to my mom a lot, and absolutely lost it when the towers fell. And how terrified it made me to think of my friends still on Capitol Hill... do any of us not remember everything about that day? I was such a news junkie (if I could still be, I would) and I watched way too much TV that week. I remember how much I appreciated that our First Amendment professor let us just talk the next day in class. The teacher in the hour before, Wills & Estates, had gone on with the class as if nothing had happened.  Of course I have so many other memories about all of it - the small vigil we had that week at school. How happy I was to finally be with Bill later that week. But it's strange to look back now and remember what sticks out so much.

And so hard to believe how much has happened in my life, our lives, since then. And that this will probably be the last year, or maybe two, that Lily won't know a lot about what happened that day. While I would love for her to never know anything about it - I know that's not possible. I wondered today if there is a chapter in US History school books about that day. Lily knew that today was a big anniversary for the USA, and that a really sad thing happened. There have been huge US flags up on the overpass bridge near our house, and of course, lots of talk has gone on. But I think at least for this year, the details of it were spared her.

And then there is today, where our sweet girls were so well-behaved at church. Lily LOVED that she now is part of Creation Station (Sunday school) and the Children in Worship program that she will now participate in after the children's sermon. (First-graders and kindergarteners go to a story-time)
We drew with chalk in the front yard this evening while Bill was an usher at the 9/11 service at church. Imogene told me as she was falling asleep that the following people would call her to "see how my day was" on Thursday after school (I kid you not, this all came from her) Uncla Ry, Shushan, Naney, Chahlie, and Gunny. (Y'all have been warned.) From the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse show, she has learned the days of the week - not in order, but she knows them, and now likes to talk about what day it is. And the other day she just ran off a string of numbers - and she got to 13. Who IS this kid?? She is not eating anything though - absolutely the biggest food waster of all time. If it weren't for chocolate milk and fruit chew snacks, I swear she would not get any calories in her at all!

As Lily reported to Naney today, "She's all set for another great week of kindergarten."