In the summer of 2000, Nathan graduated from Basic Training and we moved to my hometown in North Alabama to start a preschool for the church where I grew up. We spent the better part of a year, renovating the space and recruiting children for the program. Once we started up, we had few enough children that it was only me and Nathan with the children. We worked long hours, but we liked what we were doing. Nathan usually went in early and I usually came in an hour or so after he did.

Anyway, on September 11, 2001, I was on my way to work, listening to one of my favorite radio morning shows. I had just turned the radio on and the guys were talking about something they had just heard, and how it sounded like some sick prank...when all the sudden, their tone became very serious and said that President Bush was about to hold a press conference.

I pulled into my parking place at work and sat in my car as I listened to the president speak of a terrorist attack on our country. As soon as I had a pretty firm realization of what was going on, I hurried inside to tell Nathan. We spent the remainder of the day, between the classroom and the office (with the tv). My mom ended up leaving her job and coming up to the school to sub for us, because Nathan got a call, telling him to be at the guard base by that afternoon. It was frantic, scary, sad...

Almost immediately, people began flying American flags all over town. In fact, we went to Walmart, in search of a flag, and ended up with the very last one they had in stock. From what I gather, flags were difficult to come by in that first week or two. The sense of patriotism was so thick that it was almost tangible.

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Eight years later, almost to the hour, the same radio morning show played some of their audio from that day, and I was taken right back to that warm morning 8 years earlier. I thought of all the people who lost their lives...those who lost loved ones...and how our country pulled together in the days, weeks, and months following the attack.

Our life was turned upside down, with the events of that day...within a month of the attacks, Nathan's unit was activated and would stay that way for almost 2 years. It was a tumultuous time...not only for us, but for many.

I can't believe that it has been a whole 8 years...in some respects, it seems like yesterday, but in other respects, it seems like a lifetime ago.

Either way, I hope we will never forget the lives that were lost and those that were changed forever...the pain and vulnerability we felt in those days...and how it brought us all together as a nation. I hope that you have spent some time, today, remembering.

And, as I always pray, God Bless America.