Brookey's Cafe Blog

I remember that day crystal clear. I was driving to work, from Philly to Secaucus, NJ. I recall thinking how gorgeous the day was already, even at 8am - not a cloud in the sky, brilliant sunshine. “Today is a good day to play hooky,” I thought to myself, listening to music on the radio, cruising up the NJ Turnpike.

“We interrupt this broadcast to bring you ABC News.”

I remember hearing Peter Jennings' voice out of nowhere.

He said a small commuter plane had just crashed into one of the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center.

Wow. As tall as those buildings are, a plane would have to be flying pretty low in order to do that. What a tragic mistake I thought to myself as I said a little prayer for anyone who might have been hurt on the plane.

Wait…what’s that? It’s NOT a commuter plane, but a commercial airline. That seemed odd to me, as most of those planes don’t even really fly over NYC airspace that low. All I could fathom was that it must’ve been some inexperienced pilot. Still…a tragic mistake.

As I listened to the details of the story, the announcer suddenly says that a second plane has now hit the second tower. At that moment, I knew this was something else. My cell phone began ringing incessantly.

“Where are you, are you almost at work? Are you hearing what’s happening?”

That was my boyfriend at the time. The next call was from my boss asking me how close I was to work, telling me to take my time, but to be prepared to be busy when I got there.

The next call was from my mother. “What’s this about a plane crashing? Is that near you?”

I noticed traffic had slowed down quite a bit. I usually could speed at about 80 mph in the mornings until I got to my exit, but I noticed cars were driving slower and traffic was backing up. I was weaving in and out of traffic as I saw cars pulling over to the side of the road and passengers were getting out of their cars. I was just about at exit #16, and I heard on the radio that they closed all the tunnels and bridges. Commuters couldn’t get in or out of the city. While maneuvering through traffic, I realized people had gotten out of their cars to look at the smoky NY skyline.

I inched my car up enough to get an unobstructed view of the billowing smoke coming from both towers, and tears instantly started rolling down my cheeks. Am I really seeing this? Just as I processed that thought, I watched one of the towers fall with my very own eyes...crumbling to the ground. The building just disappeared.

By this point I made my way off the exit, into MSNBC’s parking lot and walked to my desk through the newsroom where people were crying, phones were ringing, directors were callings for different shots of the Towers, concerned coworkers were calling friends and family, and some were simply staring in disbelief. I got to my desk, turned on my tv and sat stunned. It was like I was watching a terrible movie...because after all, this can’t be real.

It was real. I went to work that Tuesday and literally didn’t go back home to Philly until Friday. The job put me up in a hotel, I wore my gym clothes for 3 days, and worked around the clock doing whatever was needed to help cover the story of the 9/11 attacks. Eight years later, that memory is still as vivid as the day it all happened.

Today, I remember those who lost their lives that day, those who were injured, who were brave helping others, and those who survived. We hear stories of heroism, sacrifice and unity. We saw a nation come together. Today, I honor and remember that which is so spellbinding that bonds the human spirit.

It’s so easy to take our blessing for granted. We wake up without sometimes even realizing that God saw fit to breathe life into us today. We should greet each day knowing that life itself, unfolding in its perfect pattern, is a gift – and tomorrow is not promised to you.

While we remember those who lost their lives that day - if you are a survivor, if you got up late that day and never made it to work at the WTC and you were spared - know that God’s grace is upon you. There is Divine favor surrounding and protecting you - protecting all of us. Take each moment for what it is – a unique experience to be engaged fully. Walk in harmony amid the dissonant hustle of the world, and know that time is precious.

While it may seem that those who lost their lives were victims of an unjust universe or an uncaring God, the grief we feel can be a life-transforming invitation to grow and live a more meaningful life. God’s care is all around us, and his Kingdom is within. We are all one. And as we did that day, we should all come together in remembrance – each of us- and respond to the call to love that this tragedy represents. Those who are no longer with us are lifted up in His grace, and as gravity ignites the stars that shine, their light shines always in God’s glory.

-b