September 11, 2001. Wow! What emotions it brought. Disbelief. Open-mouthed shock. Horror. Relief that my daughter no longer worked in New York, in a building on the Twin Towers Plaza. Gratitude for her safety. Sadness for those who were not safe.
After watching for hours, I called a florist and sent a fall bouquet of chrysanthemums to my daughter's office in Wilson, NC. The card read "Love, Mom." When a coworker asked why her mom would send flowers, she replied, "Because she understands." She told me later that she had cried all afternoon, remembering the many people she had met who worked in one of the two buildings. Her own building had been damaged enough to close it for a period of time. Although no one there died, I wonder how much damage they sustained.
Jolene Thomas