I had just woken up at about 8:30 that morning. I was watching Charlie Gibson on GMA. I remember the initial report was that a small sightseeing plane had hit one of the towers. Then they had a call in that said that it might be something bigger. They switched to a live shot just in time to watch the second plane hit. Everything changed for me in that moment. Not too long after came word about the Pentagon being hit. I'm now know how much time passed that morning while the nightmare unfolded on the morning news, but at the time it seemed to creep by and go whizzing past all the same. I remember watching the towers sway and thinking there isn't enough time to get everyone out - we need more time - why aren't they picking up people on the roofs. Then I remember the news going to all the local hospitals to see how they were handling all the people they had to treat, but the people never came.

I wasn't a child when September 11th happened. I had lived what most people would consider a thrilling and full life but I didn't know anything until that day. I don't think that I have ever felt that simultaneous feeling of fear, sadness and vulnerability before. I never want to feel that way again.

Like many people, that day will always stand sharp in my memory. The pain and fear have dulled, as they do, but vision of what we saw that day will always be a crisp as it was in 2001.

I was on a diving trip in 2002 and met a man whose 40th birthday was that day. He worked in NY for a company whose main offices were high in the second tower. He was supposed to have a breakfast meeting there that morning. He didn't know that his wife had a surprise birthday planned for him that night. The day before his boss called to put off the breakfast meeting until later in the week. He didn't know until later it was because his wife called the boss to ask for a reschedule because of the surprise 40th birthday party. Due to his wife's hubris in calling his boss, he was alive - his co-workers were not. He said that he was really struggling to find his path, his purpose in life. He couldn't accept that it was nothing more than coincidence or good luck or timing that saved his life that day - it had to MEAN something. I am sad to say that I neither kept up with my new friend or was able to offer him solace. I was only able to give him a ear and a shoulder. I hope he found what he was looking for.

Tomorrow I will spend my day mourning the lost, celebrating the heros, praying that the survivors found their meaning and thanking God for the people here and around the world that put their lives on the line daily to make sure we never have to go thru that again.