My daughter was still in High School and her b/f was visiting from England. On the evening of the 10th, she had asked me if she could take the day off school to take him to the WTC observation deck and I had agreed.
When I was leaving the room, I overheard her telling him that she was glad to be getting out of her math test, which made me reverse my decision and insist on her attendence at school. God peaked my maternal hearing, I am sure.
On the morning of the 11th, my father called me to tell me that a plane hit the tower. At that point, we thought it was an accident. I went into the spare bedroom to wake up her b/f and we were watching, in shock, when the second plane hit.
by 11:00AM, I was pounding on her school doorbell, insisting to be allowed to take her home. They finally relented and we sat home watching to news.
Being only a few miles from NYC, we smelled it for days after the event.
It is something that will stay with me forever. And my now son-in-law was changed by the event as well.
Oh man. I have goosebumps reading that.