i was at my parents house cuz my mom was helping me with watching my first born daughter, then just over a month old while i did some laundry.
my dad was watching the news & i went to go ask him something & he shushed me quite seriously so of course that got my attention. i looked at the tv just in time to see the 2nd plane hit the 2nd tower.
my words were "oh sh** dad! did you see that?! did that really just happen?! wait whats going on with the other skyscraper right next to that one?" (up until that day i never knew those towers were there).
when my dad said a plane flew into it too i just about had to pick my jaw up off the floor. i was thinking & must've said out loud "oh my god. all those people on the planes..." cuz my dad said " & all the people in those buildings..." then as the seriousness of the situation for everyone there at ground zero hit me, my body slumped down into the couch & we watched the news in continued silence. my basket of laundry went unwashed that day.
i yelled "no!" when i saw someone jump from one of the buildings & just broke down crying.
when the towers finally fell my sorrow for all the people in them tripled & i just started praying.
my peace was shattered that day, as was everyone elses, i'm sure. thats the day i started losing faith in humanity altogether because i just couldnt get my mind around how & why someone would ever come to the conclusion that so many people needed to die. i still struggle with that.
i have a higher respect for firefighters & police & now at the end of every conversation with them i always say "thank you for your dedication & god bless."
now every time i hear a fire or police siren i pray "lord please keep them safe as they answer that call."
i've even joined myself in a prayer that some random citizen was having with a group of firefighters in the middle of a grocery store. they were joined together group hug style & i stopped my cart & draped my arms over the shoulders of a couple of the firemen & finished the prayer with them. every one of them had a tear in their eye as they thanked that woman for saying the prayer for them.
since moving here to south carolina, we dont hear many sirens unless we're in a large city but when we were still in california living in a city we heard 'em multiple times every night so my days & nights were filled with that prayer.

god bless all those who answer our calls for help.