9/11/01

My wife and I were headed out to be at my mother’s side. She had pancreatic cancer and we were driving out there to say our good byes. We had loaded up the car and were headed out across Connecticut and into New York. I remarked to my wife, “what a beautiful day. Surprised we can not see any planes as close as we are to the city.” Little did I know a rest area would have folks gathered around the TV as the towers fell. My wife came out to tell me. I turned on the radio and we heard story after story. As we got close to Buffalo, traffic was backing up for miles and gas prices were soaring. People were reporting of looting and price gouging and even weapons being pulled.

By the time we reached Indiana, we had got “used” to military jets flying over head. As we entered the city, National Guardsmen were in front of parking garages and the noise from jets would continue through out the night. No one ever told my mom what had happened. She died only a few days later. Never knowing. My daughter was in Boston at the time and like other major cities it was getting pretty wild. She and her dorm mates like much of America, huddled around TV sets and watched the reruns of the towers falling.

I will never forget that day or the days that followed. I traveled a lot in that year. I lost my mom, my step mom and a mentor, as well as saw my son be hospitalized in a coma as the result of a car crash. And yet through it all I saw America rise up and respond. I remember one place I watched thousands of flags placed in front of a shopping center. As much had happened to me personally, like others my resistance to it increased.

Honestly, it is not about flags or bumper stickers, but about people. The resilience of people to come out from under and say “you can not take it away.” And I guess that is what I remember. People who were social networking by having barbecues and restoring community and not being on their computers. I had friends who lost family and friends in the events related to 9-11. And while there is loss, they bounced back.

Folks, it is and always has been about people and their community. The fabric of any community is a reflection of the people. I have taught my children and my grandchildren to never forget. As the schools, the politically correct and those anti-Americans work hard to make us forget, to rewrite the truth…

I simply ask you today to choose, “will you remember?”

I say this in closing. I will spend today, 9/11 the following way. I will be praying for friends and family and our nation.  My prayers are with folks like our firemen, police, emergency crews and our military. We are proud of you and we stand behind you.

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Written by Lee Johndrow

Lee is the Senior Leader of Abundant Grace Fellowship Church in Keene, NH

He is the father of five wonderful children. Married for over 26 years to his wife Tina. Loving life with family, friends, faith, fun and food!